Qatar Airways marks opening of new mega airport

Monday, 5 May 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Hamad International Airport opening signals start of new era in Qatar
Annual capacity is 30 m passengers; to be raised to 50 m upon full completion
A Qatar Airways A320 flight hosting local dignitaries became the first plane to officially land

Hamad International Airport welcomed a celebratory Qatar Airways’ VIP flight last week, upon the airport’s highly anticipated soft opening. The Qatar Airways A320 aircraft, landed on Hamad International Airport’s Easterly runway to mark the opening. Upon arrival, QR7450 was greeted by a traditional water salute and a warm welcome from gathering crowds at gate B3, on one of the airport’s new concourses. Onboard the inaugural flight to Hamad International Airport were VIPs and other dignitaries, including; Minister of Transportation, Jassim Al Sulaiti, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker and Chairman of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, Abdul Aziz Mohammad Al Noaimi.

Following the soft launch, 10 airlines are now operating fully from Hamad International Airport. These are; Biman Bangladesh Airlines, flydubai, Air Arabia, Iran Air, Air India Express, Yemenia, Pakistan International Airlines, Syrian Airlines, Pegasus Airlines and Nepal Airlines. Qatar Airways will move its entire hub operations to Hamad International Airport on 27 May. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “It is a historic moment, not only in the history of our airline, but for the State of Qatar, to see this Qatar Airways VIP flight touch down at the newly opened Hamad International Airport. "Following the soft launch, 10 airlines are now operating fully from Hamad International Airport. These are; Biman Bangladesh Airlines, flydubai, Air Arabia, Iran Air, Air India Express, Yemenia, Pakistan International Airlines, Syrian Airlines, Pegasus Airlines and Nepal Airlines. Qatar Airways will move its entire hub operations to Hamad International Airport on 27 May."

“Today’s highly anticipated opening of the new airport signifies to the world that Doha is now ready to open its doors for passengers to experience an airport that transforms the travel experience, and it is with much excitement that we await the move of all Qatar Airways flights to this new facility on the 27 May.” Hamad International Airport is the world’s latest global gateway and will raise the bar on passenger expectations, thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities and passenger focused design. Designed to accommodate 30 million passengers annually, rising to 50 million upon full completion, the airport covers an area of 29 sq kms and is 60 per cent built on land reclaimed from the Gulf.

Qatar Airways, the national carrier for the State of Qatar, will officially move to Hamad International Airport on the 27 May. The airline has seen rapid growth in just 17 years of operation, to the point where today it is flying a modern fleet of 134 aircraft to 138 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America. Over the next few months, the network will grow further with Al Hofuf, Saudi Arabia (15 May), Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, Turkey (22 May, 2014), Edinburgh, Scotland (28 May, 2014), Miami, USA (10 June, 2014), Haneda, Japan (18 June, 2014), Dallas/Fort Worth, USA (1 July, 2014) and Djibouti (27 July, 2014).