HIA Phase A expansion to boost annual passenger capacity to 58mn prior to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Al-Meer

Phase A of Hamad International Airport’s expansion will be completed ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, taking HIA’s annual passenger capacity to 58mn, said chief operating officer Badr Mohammed al-Meer.

“The terminal expansion is on track… our contractors are doing a very good job. Everything is going according to plan, and God willing, everything will be completed (by next year) according to the commitment we have given,” al-Meer said in an interview with Gulf Times.

Al-Meer noted that HIA had reached a capacity of 40mn, pre-Covid.

Highlighting the challenges faced by airports and airlines around the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic, al-Meer said, “By God’s grace, we are the only airport that continued our expansion.”

Recently, HIA was announced as the ‘busiest hub in the ME’, he noted.

Travel analytics organisation ForwardKeys has revealed that Doha seized and consolidated a lead over Dubai in the first half of 2021 in the battle to be the pre-eminent travel hub in the Middle East.From January 1 to June 30, the volume of air tickets issued for travel via Doha was 18% higher than it was through Dubai; and that relationship looks set to continue, according to the latest research by ForwardKeys.Current bookings for the second half of the year through Doha are 17% higher than through Dubai.At the start of the year, air traffic through Doha was at 77% of Dubai; but it quickly reached 100% for the first time during the week starting January 27.

According to HIA, Phase B of the terminal expansion will commence post FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and will increase capacity to more than 60mn passengers a year.

“With preparations underway for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, as the Official Airport Partner for the much-anticipated global event, HIA’s expansion timeline remains uninterrupted,” HIA said.

On HIA being adjudged the world’s best airport by Skytrax, al-Meer said, “This is a truly remarkable achievement for HIA and the State of Qatar, and an endorsement from our travellers for our commitment to service excellence. HIA continues to serve as a global benchmark for airports around the world, thanks to the dedication and collaboration of our team and stakeholders.”

HIA’s successful, adaptive, and innovative response was recognised by industry leading regulatory bodies such as British Standards Institution (BSI), which certified HIA for its Business Continuity Management System and its compliance with the safety and hygiene measures issued by the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Civil Aviation Recovery Taskforce. In December 2020, HIA became the first in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a 5-Star Covid-19 Airport Safety Rating by Skytrax – a testament to the airport’s efforts, resilience, and operational excellence during the pandemic.

By effectively staying operational throughout the pandemic, HIA entered the top ten global ranks in terms of international passenger traffic, rising from the 16th position in 2019 to 6th in 2020.