Qatar’s Hamad International Airport to unveil passenger facilities at Concourse B

DOHA, Qatar: The soft opening of Hamad International Airport (HIA) on 1 April 2013 will see 10 foreign airlines operating out of Concourse B and an array of modern facilities for passengers to enjoy.

HIA is a uniquely designed airport 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 roof of the passenger terminal complex creates an architectural feature, the design of which is influenced by the waves of the Arabian Gulf.

HIA is located four kilometres east of the existing Doha International Airport (DIA) and has been primarily built on reclaimed land. The airport is based on the Ras Abu Abboud street expressway, also known as the F Ring Road.

Upon entering the HIA site there will be signage directing passengers to the eastern side of the short term car park located opposite the passenger terminal complex. There are pick up and drop off areas located on both the departure and arrival floors and a bus pavilion located outside Concourse A for passengers using the public bus route or the shuttle bus provided by DIA.

Passengers wanting a beverage or snack before they fly will be able to visit the café located in Concourse B at the far end of level 1. Before boarding, passengers can visit the express duty free store to browse a wide range of products on offer or pick up any last minute items. A newsagent is also available for passengers to purchase magazines, books and newspapers for their journey.

Passenger facilities available at HIA include a male and female prayer room and a smoking room located in Concourse B. In addition, HIA will offer all passengers and visitors free Wi-Fi to access from their personal devices throughout the airport.

For families travelling through HIA, there are two specially designated areas located in Concourse B. Families with young children will be able to utilise baby strollers available at HIA on a complimentary basis from airport customer services.

The 10 airlines initially moving to Hamad International Airport from 1 April are: Air Arabia, Air India Express, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, flydubai, Iran Air, Nepal Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, RAK Airways, Syrian Air and Yemen Airways.

These airlines will no longer have a presence at Doha International Airport (DIA) and will operate exclusively from HIA from 1st April 2013 There will be around 32 passenger flights departing daily from HIA equating to approximately 222 flights per week.

Qatar Airways Group will manage and operate Hamad International Airport.

National airline Qatar Airways will be the principle operator of flights from the new airport, but will move its entire operations from the current Doha International Airport (DIA) to Hamad International Airport by the end of the year.

There are also 19 other airlines which will continue operating from DIA until their move to Hamad International at the end of the year.

Along with the Concourse B opening on April 1, HIA will open cargo facilities in phases from 8 April 2013. HIA is home to one of the largest cargo facilities in the world, which includes a 55,000 square metre full automated cargo terminal, a 5,000 square metre cargo agent building and a dedicated 4,200 square metre live animal centre with eight horse stalls.

The cargo facility has the capacity to process 1.4 million tonnes of cargo a year and has an exclusive adjacent aircraft apron for 11 freighter aircraft.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “The State of Qatar is just days away from the opening of its brand new airport which will surely set the standards in the regional and global aviation industry. This will be a memorable experience for passengers and visitors alike as we welcome the first few airlines to their new home on 1 April before Qatar Airways switches its entire operations to Hamad International by the end of the year.”