From flying high in the skies to moving with efficiency on land, Qatar wowed

Even as Qatar continues to receive encomiums for hosting one of the best ever FIFA World Cups, new statistics from the mega sporting event further bolsters the organisational capabilities of the nation. One of the most impressive feats was Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) recording 26,425 flights at the end of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 through Hamad International Airport (HIA) and Doha International Airport (DIA). Air traffic at both HIA and DIA saw a high operational intensity with many Gulf airlines operating shuttle flights to Qatar, in addition to many additional flights from the rest of world, including charter flights for football fans.
The significant rise in air traffic was managed professionally and smoothly by the QCAA, thanks to the great preparations it made. A significant development in this regard saw the activation on September 8, 2022, of the new airspace developed for Qatar and the launch of the first phase of the Doha Flight Information Region, in implementation of the decision issued by the International Civil Aviation Organisation in March 2022 to establish a Flight Information Region and a Search and Rescue Region in Doha. Accordingly, the capacity was increased to about 100 flights per hour, and the number of air routes arriving to and departing from Qatar increased to 17, with the aim of ensuring a smoother flow and a greater safety.
Landing and take-off procedures were separated into two runways (HIA and DIA) giving the possibility of running three take-offs and landings at the same time. The Air Traffic Flow Management system in Qatar, a first of its kind in the Middle East, contributed to properly arranging the arrival and departure of aircraft. QCAA Air Navigation Department also developed alternative operational contingency plans to ensure that no confusion occurred in air traffic management during the 29-day, 32-nation tournament.
With the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Mowasalat (Karwa) set new standards for event transportation worldwide by showing that mega-operations can be achieved with sustainable solutions. The public transport provider deployed 4,000 buses and a workforce of more than 18,000 staff from 90 nations, including thousands of specially trained drivers. A whopping 7,550,760 passengers were safely transported through all services, including the public bus and Metrolink network, which operated for extended hours during the tournament on more than 200 routes. The agency also provided taxis, limousines, and accessible vehicles services around the clock at the airports.
At the conclusion of this mammoth project, the company recorded an incredible 2,910,425km driven and 234,447 of operational staff working hours for the tournament related bus services. One of the most spectacular offerings, and as a first in the history of the tournament, fans had the opportunity to watch more than a match in one day through the dedicated Stadium-to-Stadium shuttles – which was appreciated by 54,709 users. About 600 buses were dedicated to transport a total of 414,970 fans arriving at Abu Samra land border to enjoy the tournament.
Another first was the deployment of almost 900 E-buses, which reduced the carbon footprint of the event in an equivalent of the CO2 absorption of 18,078 trees. The tournament acted as a catalyst to build expertise in environmentally friendly transport solutions, which will be a foundation pillar of a 100% green public shared transport network.
In line with the country’s agenda of ‘Qatar for All’, the company also made good on its promise to provide easy and reliable access to transportation for people in wheelchairs. Mowasalat dedicated a fleet of 70 special vehicles that operated around the clock. In addition, more than 938 buses from the fleet were wheelchair accessible. The list of achievements is much longer. So is the legacy of the most memorable World Cup to date.