Qatar to expand airport
DOHA: Qatar announced yesterday a major expansion of its Hamad international airport, almost doubling the number of visitors it can receive as the
Gulf state prepares to host the
2022 World Cup. “The expansion... is a vital part of the future success of the Qatar Airways group, and of course of the country’s preparations to host the 2022 World Cup and beyond,” said the carrier’s
CEO Akbar Al-Baker. — AFP
DUBAI: Qatar’s Hamad International Airport will be expanded to handle over 60 million passengers a year after 2022, the airport said yesterday. Qatar’s main commercial airport, used by state carrier Qatar Airways, handled 34.5 million passengers in 2018.
It has already been announced capacity will be increased to over 53 million passengers a year by 2022 when the Gulf state hosts the FIFA World Cup. Construction of that expansion, which will link concourse’s D and E, is due to start early next year, the airport said in a statement.
The second phase, where the airport will be able to handle over 60 million passengers, will begin sometime after 2022 and see the expansion of concourse’s D and E. The expansion includes 11,720 square meters of retail and food & beverage space, a 10,000 square meter indoor tropical garden and a 268 square meter water feature. A new cargo terminal will also be built, increasing capacity to an estimated 3.2 million tons a year by 2023. Hamad International opened in 2014 with a capacity of around 30 million passengers a year, replacing the Doha International Airport. — Reuters