Hamad International Airport hits all-time passenger traffic high as expansion beckons
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Hamad International Airport hits all-time passenger traffic high as expansion beckons QATAR. Hamad International Airport (HIA) served a record 38,786,422 passengers in 2019, up +12.4% year- on-year and marking its best year since operations began in 2014. Eight new passenger destinations were added to HIA’s global network in 2019 – Davao in the Philippines; Rabat in Morocco; Izmir, Turkey; Gaborone, Botswana; Langkawi, Malaysia; Mogadishu, Somalia; Malta and Lisbon in Portugal. Hamad International Airport Chief Operating Officer Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer: “2019 has been a spectacular yea HIA… now we’re focused on increasing our operational capacity through our major airport expansion project, which is a vital part of the airport’s rapid growth and the country’s preparations to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and beyond” Fifteen airlines increased their weekly flight frequencies, including Kuwait Airways, Salam Air, Philippine Airlines, Oman Air and Air India Express. HIA also welcomed two new airline partners, Air India and Tarco Aviation. This led to the airport handling 232,917 aircraft movements in 2019, +5.57% more than 2018.
Hamad International Airport Chief Operating Officer Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer stated: “2019 has been a
spectacular year for HIA, having broken our record for the most number of passengers ever served since
commencing our operations.
The expansion project will feature a 10,000sq m indoor tropical garden; a 268sq m water feature;
11,720sq m of landscaped retail and food & beverage space; and a 9,000sq m world-class Al
Mourjan lounge
“It was also an exciting year for the airport as the gateway to some of the world’s biggest sporting events ,including the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 and the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019, which were successfully hosted by the State of Qatar. “Looking ahead, we’re focused on increasing our operational capacity through our major airport expansion project, which is a vital part of the airport’s rapid growth and the country’s preparations to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and beyond.”
HIA revealed its multi-phased airport expansion plan in 2019, just before The Trinity Forum in October which the airport company successfully co-hosted with Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free. Phase A of the expansion will comprise a central concourse linking concourses D and E. It will increase the airport’s annual capacity to over 53 million passengers by 2022. The expansion plan will make Hamad International Airport “a destination in its own right”, the airport company promise Phase B, which will be completed after 2022, will extend concourses D and E to further enhance capacity to more than 60 million passengers annually. The project will feature a 10,000sq m indoor tropical garden; a 268sq m water feature; 11,720sq m of landscaped retail and food & beverage space; and a 9,000sq m world-class Al Mourjan lounge.
HIA also introduced a range of innovative solutions in 2019 to achieve operational excellence and enhanced passenger experience. The airport implemented advanced software solutions for passenger forecasting and queue measurement which provide real-time passenger traffic forecasting as well as calculating waiting times and throughputs. These are visualised on a live dashboard, allowing the airport to keep waiting times in check.
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