Hamad International Airport welcomed 25.9mn passengers in the first half of 2024, a 25% increase compared to the first half of 2023. Additionally, HIA’s aircraft movement has grown by 19% in the first half of 2024 (to 138,471 aircraft movements), total number of bags handled by 19% (20.92mn) and cargo operations by 12% (1.24mn tonnes of cargo), in comparison to the first half of 2023, Hamad International Airport said in a release yesterday.
This includes a 22.1% increase in point-to-point passengers compared to the same period last year. Point-to-point refers to the passengers flying directly into and out of Doha, reflecting significant growth in the number of airline partners operating from the airport, and the flourishing tourism sector in Qatar.
Hamad International Airport expanded its network this year by welcoming new airline partners, including Japan Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, China Southern Airlines, and Akasa Air.
This is in addition to Iberia, Xiamen Airlines and Vistara joining the airport’s network late last year. This expansion underscores the airport’s commitment to enhancing connectivity and providing more travel options for passengers and has significantly boosted tourism, fostered trade relationships and fortified business ties between Qatar and the global community.
Hamad International Airport experienced a notable 12% growth in cargo operations, in terms of cargo tonnage, compared to the same period last year. The demand from and to the Middle East experienced a remarkable 45.3% growth, driven by the recovery of airline operations between GCC countries, particularly the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
Traffic to and from Europe grew by 32.8%, supported by the launch of new destinations and increased capacity to existing destinations from Qatar Airways as well as and the commencement of services by Spain’s Iberia in late 2023. The Asian-Pacific region had a considerable growth of 20.9% as well, bolstered by the addition of four new airlines from the region – including Chinese carrier Xiamen Airlines – which began operations in late 2023. Qatar Airways further expanded its capacity in key Asian markets such as in Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam – while also introducing new routes to Cambodia, Central Asia, and other Asian cities.
London emerged as the top destination, with Qatar Airways serving both London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport. Other popular destinations included Bangkok, Dubai, Jeddah and Colombo. Hamad International Airport projects a further increase in passenger traffic in the second half (H2) of 2024.
Having reached the 50mn passenger per year mark earlier this year, HIA forecasts it will surpass this milestone by the year end, underscoring Qatar’s airport’s robust position as a leading global aviation hub.
