Expansion at Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) is in full force and will ensure a capacity to handle 58mn passengers by 2022, Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar al-Baker has said.
“Soon after 2022, after the FIFA World Cup, there will be another final phase of the expansion, to increase the capacity to just under 70mn passengers,” al-Baker said in an interview with Qatar TV.
On safety precautions being undertaken by Qatar Airways Group in view of the pandemic, al-Baker said, “I am proud to say HIA is the first airport to be certified for Covid-19 safety by Skytrax. And we were the first airline to be certified for the same reason.
“We have taken precautions, which most of the airports did not do. Though some airports advertised that they were taking extra precautions, they failed…and this is why they did not get those kinds of accolades.”
Al-Baker noted, “After very stringent audits, we at HIA and in Qatar Airways have invested hugely in technology…in disinfectants…in equipment to make sure that our airport meets the most stringent Covid safety precautions that are today.
“As a matter of fact, even Heathrow airport, asked us of what equipment we were using to disinfect our airport. So it shows how fast and how quickly we invested in making sure our passengers – majority of those transiting the airport, safely do so making sure the risk of infection is 0.0001%.”
The Skytrax Covid-19 Airport Rating provides an independent analysis of an airport's Covid-19 hygiene and safety measures, assessing over 400 factors in a typical airport travel sequence. Conducted over a few days, auditors test and evaluate the airport’s Covid-19 procedures on-site.
On the issue of State of Qatar support to the national airline, al-Baker clarified, “When we were being accused of getting government support…that we were getting government subsidies, as a matter of fact, we were getting equity from the owner of Qatar Airways...that is the government.
“All these airlines that have got billions of dollars, American carriers got $25bn in the first tranche and another $15bn in the second tranche, while European carriers got huge capital injections of funds. Same was the case with South American and Asian carriers.
“Qatar Airways got equity injection from our government. So actually it is not assistance, it is an equity injection. And this should be made very clear to the public that when Qatar Airways gets funding from the government, it is not assistance…it is equity.”
“Soon after 2022, after the FIFA World Cup, there will be another final phase of the expansion, to increase the capacity to just under 70mn passengers,” al-Baker said in an interview with Qatar TV.
On safety precautions being undertaken by Qatar Airways Group in view of the pandemic, al-Baker said, “I am proud to say HIA is the first airport to be certified for Covid-19 safety by Skytrax. And we were the first airline to be certified for the same reason.
“We have taken precautions, which most of the airports did not do. Though some airports advertised that they were taking extra precautions, they failed…and this is why they did not get those kinds of accolades.”
Al-Baker noted, “After very stringent audits, we at HIA and in Qatar Airways have invested hugely in technology…in disinfectants…in equipment to make sure that our airport meets the most stringent Covid safety precautions that are today.
“As a matter of fact, even Heathrow airport, asked us of what equipment we were using to disinfect our airport. So it shows how fast and how quickly we invested in making sure our passengers – majority of those transiting the airport, safely do so making sure the risk of infection is 0.0001%.”
The Skytrax Covid-19 Airport Rating provides an independent analysis of an airport's Covid-19 hygiene and safety measures, assessing over 400 factors in a typical airport travel sequence. Conducted over a few days, auditors test and evaluate the airport’s Covid-19 procedures on-site.
On the issue of State of Qatar support to the national airline, al-Baker clarified, “When we were being accused of getting government support…that we were getting government subsidies, as a matter of fact, we were getting equity from the owner of Qatar Airways...that is the government.
“All these airlines that have got billions of dollars, American carriers got $25bn in the first tranche and another $15bn in the second tranche, while European carriers got huge capital injections of funds. Same was the case with South American and Asian carriers.
“Qatar Airways got equity injection from our government. So actually it is not assistance, it is an equity injection. And this should be made very clear to the public that when Qatar Airways gets funding from the government, it is not assistance…it is equity.”