Hamad International Airport (HIA) has welcomed a total of 9.68 million passengers and handled 57,031 aircraft movements in the third quarter of 2018, making this the busiest quarter of the year so far. HIA has also handled 538,551 tonnes of cargo in the third quarter of this year.

The third quarter 2018 report reveals that HIA has served 3,401,880 passengers in July, 3,459,518 passengers in August and 2,821,928 passengers in September, which includes passengers arriving, departing and transferring through HIA. The third quarter of 2018 has also shown a 10.6% increase in passenger traffic in comparison to the third quarter of 2017, with August being the busiest month of the year so far.

The airport also handled 19,064 aircraft movements in July, 19,228 movements in August and 18,739 movements in September, with August being the busiest month for aircraft movement in the year so far. This denotes a 15.2% increase in the total number of aircraft taking off and landing at HIA compared to the same period in 2017. In addition, HIA has handled 538,551 tonnes of cargo in the third quarter of 2018, with 181,643 tonnes in July, 175,585 tonnes in August and 181,322 tonnes in September.

The third quarter of 2018 demonstrates continuous growth for the airport, further positioning it as a leading hub worldwide. HIA has contributed its efforts towards investing in facilities, services, staff and the newest technologies to provide a world-class passenger experience to its travellers.

Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, commented: “HIA has demonstrated sustained and continued growth, experiencing the busiest quarter of 2018 so far. As a gateway to Qatar, we are committed to empower its travellers through hassle-free airport travel experience while also accommodating an increasing number of passengers. Our resilient operations, investment on cutting edge technology, and ambitious team had put HIA ahead of the curve in shaping the future of passenger experience”.

As Qatar gears up to welcome thousands of visitors during the FIFA World Cup 2022, HIA is preparing to boost the airport’s capacity which will eventually accommodate more than 50 million passengers per year by 2022. HIA is also working hand-in-hand with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy to process the smooth arrival of visitors for the World Cup. To ensure seamless and hassle-free airport travel for the increase in passengers, HIA has received 62 next-generation common-use check-in kiosks, with bag tag printing capability and boarding pass verification e-gates. These kiosks and e-gates will have the ability to use biometrics to identify passengers.

HIA is currently a candidate for the “Best Airport in the World” 2019 award by Skytrax. Earlier this year, it was ranked fifth Best Airport in the World by the 2018 Skytrax World Airport Awards, and also classified as a five-star airport.

Cover image courtesy of HIA

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