Airport News

National carrier Qatar Airways and international airlines were welcomed today and up to speed at the state-of-the-art gateway, which is located 4km from Doha International Airport and 16km from the city centre.

The airport celebrated a soft opening on April 30, when a Qatar Airways flight landed with VIP’s on-board, and Concourses A and B were opened.

Designed to accommodate 30 million passengers annually, rising to 50 million upon full completion, the airport covers an area of 29 square km and is 60% built on land reclaimed from the Gulf.

The terminal is 600,000 square metres, comprising of three concourses, 33 aircraft gates, and is expected to increase to five concourses and 65 aircraft gates in the future.

The airport boasts 138 check-in counters: including 108 for passengers travelling with Qatar Airways economy class and all other airlines; 16 counters for Qatar Airways business class and 14 seated check-in counters for the airline’s first class passengers.

Other facilities include 16 lounges, a five-star transit hotel, a luxury spa, squash courts, a four-storey catering facility, and a mosque able to accommodate 500 worshippers.

Hamad International has 25,000 square metres of commercial space through Qatar Duty Free and its partners, housing more than 70 retail outlets and more than 30 F&B units.

Speaking at the official opening, HE Abdul Aziz Mohammed al Noaimi, chairman of Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, explains that Hamad International is purpose-built for modern aviation needs.

He adds the airport is capable of 320,000 aircraft movements a year, thereby allowing Qatar Airways to continue with its expansion growth.

Al Noaimi also emphasised the importance of the airport as a significant facility to support the increase in passenger and cargo traffic due into Qatar in future years, with a raft of international events set to be hosted.