The figure represents a 20% increase from the number of passengers who travelled through the airport during the first quarter of 2015.
In detail, HIA had 8,867,971 passengers pass through its gates during the first quarter of 2016, with a record 3,089,826 passengers departing, arriving and transiting in January which is an unsurpassed figure for a single month for the airport, HIA said in a press statement on Monday.
The months of February and March had 2,722,867 and 3,055,278 passenger movement respectively. The same period in 2015 saw a total of 7,360,145 passengers travel through HIA, with 2,589,400 passengers in January; 2,285,221 in February; and 2,485,524 in March.
HIA also had a significant increase in aircraft movement in the first quarter of 2016 with a total of 58,288 movements, which represents an 8.6% increase in aircraft take-offs and landings at the airport, compared to 56,282 movements during the same period last year.
Commenting on the airport’s record-breaking figures, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport Badr Mohamed al-Meer said that with the activation of concourses D and E at HIA as well as the technological advancements in the terminal, the airport is in a position to handle more passengers, aircraft and cargo movements than before.
Steady growth
The airport is expecting a steady growth in numbers for the rest of the year.
The months of January and February saw 19,455 and 18,511 aircraft movement respectively, followed by the month of March with unprecedented 20,322 aircraft movement, which is the highest the airport has had.
Cargo tonnage totalled 389,950 tonnes in the first quarter of 2016, with 125,907 tonnes handled in January, 122,227 tonnes in February and 141,815 tonnes in March.
The airport ended 2015 on a strong note, having handled 30.9mn passengers. It handled a total of 1.4mn tonnes of cargo as well 212,252 aircraft movement.
Hamad International Airport-Qatar is an award-winning airport with services and facilities which include Qatar Duty Free, a premium shopping emporium comprising 40,000 square metres of combined retail and dining with more than 70 boutiques and 30 cafes and restaurants.
HIA also boasts an airside hotel, two airside squash courts, a gym, a 25-metre swimming pool and spa, all within easy reach of the departure gates.
The airport also features two runways with dual capacity, one of the largest free span maintenance hangars in the world, a cutting-edge two-storey cargo facility and one of the world’s largest self-contained catering facilities.