HIA caters to 28 million passengers in its first year of operations

AUG 7, 2015: Hamad International Airport (HIA) has completed a year of operations and has served a total of 28 Million passengers from June 2014 to May 2015.

Detailing the second quarter of 2015, HIA saw 7.28 million passengers arriving, departing and transferring from April to June with 2,495,191 passengers in the month of April, 2,419,783 passengers in May and 2,367,230 passengers in June.

HIA seamlessly transitioned from its previous hub, Doha International Airport (DIA), to its current state-of-the-art facilities and full commercial operations of the airport began on May 27, 2014. This successful transition was a testimony to the intensive planning efforts by the airport management, Qatar Airways and all its subsidiaries,HIA has now matured into a globally-recognised airport.

The past year saw a total of 28,047,750 passengers arriving, departing and transferring through the airport; this represents a 23.6 percent year-on-year increase, having served 22.6 million passengers in its previous hub at Doha International Airport (DIA). The airporthas also handled more than one million metric tonnes of cargo in total in its first year, demonstrating a 12 percent increase compared to the previous hub.

Along with the exponential growth of its passenger numbers and cargo, HIA now accommodates 36 airlines having efficiently handled 193,173 aircraft movements in the past year, which is 11.4 percent more than was handled per annum in the previous airport.

Within less than a year of commencing operations, HIA has won six Skytrax 2015 awards at the Skytrax Airport Award Ceremony, held at the Passenger Terminal Expo 2015 in Paris. These include the Best Airport in the Middle East award as well as the second position as the Best Airport in Performance and Services. HIA has also won the ‘Strategic Project of the Year’ award at the 2015 Global Projects of the Year awards ceremony organised by CG/LA Infrastructure.

HIA has also performed well in the surveys conducted by Airport Service Quality (ASQ) in the first quarter of 2015. This includes being ranked first in the Middle East for Cleanliness of Airport Terminal, Speedy Baggage Delivery and Comfort of Waiting Areas.

At the heart of Hamad International Airport is Qatar Duty Free (QDF), the airport’s award-winning shopping emporium with more than 40,000 square metres of combined retail and dining with more than 70 boutiques and 30 cafés and restaurants. QDF offers an unprecedented selection of designer labels, electronics, gourmet foods and much more. It alsoboasts an extensive portfolio of luxury brands and unique retail concepts,and is home to the largest perfume and cosmetics hall in any airport worldwide. HIA is also home to the Middle East’s first branch of Harrods.