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Qatar is eagerly awaiting the opening of the ultra-modern Hamad International Airport, which will be home to the country’s rapidly expanding national carrier Qatar Airways shortly. |
In its first year, the multibillion dollar HIA is expected to serve about 28mn passengers; gradually rising to more than 50mn, once Qatar Airways becomes fully operational from the airport.
The passenger terminal spans 600,000sq m and has been designed to pare movement times down to a minimum.
Additionally, passenger movement is automatically managed by the design of the terminal to ensure “seamless flow”.
At the HIA, there will be 41 contact gates for full operational opening and some 22 remote stands.
The HIA will have two runways, one of which (at 4,850m) is amongst the “longest” in the world. The aircraft maintenance hangar is the “largest free span hangar” in the world and the state-of-the-art new catering facility has the capacity to produce 90,000 meals per day.
The passenger terminal complex is set against a “beautiful” man made lagoon and landscaping, creating a lush green environment to complement the airport’s natural bay and coastal setting. The design of the roof reflects the terminal’s coastal settings, whilst the roof’s wave like design mirrors the waves of the Arabian Gulf.
Key aspects of this modern airport complex include a uniquely shaped 2,100sq m public mosque located outside the passenger terminal complex and the crescent shaped air traffic control tower, which can be seen throughout the city.
The new airport followed three years of planning and seven years of construction, at a cost of $15.5bn. The facility is built on reclaimed land, immediately to the north east of the existing Doha International Airport.
Last month, a milestone was achieved by the new cargo terminal at the HIA with its receiving the first shipment.
The new cargo terminal, one of the largest in the world, has the capacity to move 5,700 shipments simultaneously and to handle 1.4mn tonnes of cargo a year by 2015, representing a 75% increase from the current airport. The new cargo terminal is built over 77,000sq m across two levels.
The national carrier is already one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 128 aircraft to 134 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas.
At the 2013 Dubai Air Show, the airline placed orders for more than 60 new aircraft – a mixture of Boeing 777X and Airbus A330 Freighters. In total the airline has more than 280 aircraft on order worth more than $50bn. The airline will move into its new hub and home, the HIA from early this year.
