Many aircraft on standby for World Cup service: QA chief
Third runway activated at DIA to cater to fans from neighbouring countries, says Al Baker
QATAR Airways will be operating many, many extra flights to meet the huge demand by fans from across the world during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the airline’s top official said on Thursday.
Addressing media persons at the inaugural ceremony of the Passenger Overflow Area at the Hamad International (HIA) Airport, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said, “We will also have a large number of aircraft on standby as we expect huge demand from fans from the second week of the tournament. There will be a huge demand on us from countries that are winning and are coming closer to the target of being a champion. So we are ready to be able to operate additional flights to those particular destinations where we have a huge spike in demand and ticket bookings.”
Baker said that a third runway has also been activated at Doha International Airport (DIA) to cater to a large number of FIFA spectators from the neighbouring countries.
He said, “We will also have large space available for chartered flights to cater to people of high net worth and many heads of states who will be attending the World Cup. Unfortunately, we cannot let many of the VIP planes land overnight in Doha due to the constraint of space as we need to make space for people who want to get off their planes. So there will be flights that will land at Al Udaid and another airfield in Doha. We have also made arrangements with our friendly countries to be able to park their airplanes and then come to pick them up when they are ready to travel.”
In a nutshell, he said, “We at Qatar Airways are ready to deliver what we have promised.”
As part of its preparations to welcome millions of visitors for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, it was announced that Passenger Overflow Area at both Hamad International Airport and Doha International Airport will be operational from November 17 until December 31, 2022. Set to offer fans extended memorable experiences and seamless connectivity at both airports, the passenger overflow area at DIA will be able to welcome up to 12,000 departing passengers per day. The HIA has the capacity to accommodate 24,000 passengers per day.
AS part of its operational preparations to welcome millions of visitors for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Qatar Airways on Thursday announced that all passengers
ying through Hamad International Airport (HIA) and Doha International Airport (DIA) until 31 December can experience complimentary and entertaining pre-departure waiting areas, setting a new standard of excellence for international travel at sporting events.
Named as assenger Overow Areas ( OAs), each has been built to provide fans with dedicated facilities, to complete their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 journey. At both
OAs, passengers can safely stow baggage, enjoy a taste of the best international cuisine or relax in comfort and style while soaking up a football themed atmosphere.
In addition, the larger of the two over ow areas, at HIA, includes a virtual reality gaming one - a world first. There are also soft play areas for children and huge screens to show football highlights.
Set to offer fans extended memorable experiences and seamless connectivity throughout both airports, the passenger over ow area at DIA will be able to welcome up to 12,000 departing passengers per day. Qatar’s HIA has the capacity to accommodate 24,000 passengers per day.
The passenger over ow areas will only be accessible for passengers arriving at HIA and DIA more than four hours and up to eight hours prior to their scheduled departure ight time
regardless of the airlines with which passengers are ying.
To coincide with the opening, a Qatar Airways FIFA World Cup anthem recorded by internationally acclaimed singer Cheb
haled and superstar DJ Rodge called C.H.A.M. .I.O.N.S. has been released on the airline’s official ouTube channel and will be played onboard ights arriving in Qatar.
The uplifting lyrics are sung in English, French and Arabic and its catchy melody re ects the passion of all fans uniting across the globe in this shared experience.
Speaking on the occasion, Qatar Airways roup Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said, Qatar
Airways is all about offering global passengers the best experiences the industry has to offer.
assenger Over ow Areas will accommodate thousands of fans at any given time at our world class airports. We’re dedicating the song C.H.A.M. .I.O.N.S. to those fans and to people everywhere which we think captures the excitement that FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 represents to this country and region.
Commenting on the announcement, HIA COO Engr Badr Mohammed Al Meer said,
The commencement of the passenger over ow area at both HIA and DIA will offer our visitors a remarkable chance to experience the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at dedicated premises. Curated for all departing passengers, the over ow area is part of MATAR’s initial airport operations plan set to improve overall ow at both airports and accommodate thousands of visitors at any given time throughout the tournament.
On the expected number of visitors arriving at both airports during the tournament, Al Meer commented We are expecting to receive approximately 44,000 arriving passengers per day and upwards of around 900 aircraft movements daily.
The passenger over ow areas at both HIA and DIA will be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will include a variety of food and beverage options, retail stores, gaming areas, football pitches for children, quiet areas, luggage storage, a lost and found desk, ight information screen, a free WI-FI activation area and more.
Departing passengers can access the over ow area at HIA by taking a shuttle bus from the airport’s metro station. To access the over ow area at DIA, passengers can either take a Taxi to the facility or use public transportation to the Al Matar Al Qadeem metro station.
The passenger over ow area does not include check-in service desks, so travelers can either check in online while at the premises or visit the checkin halls at HIA or DIA.