Over the past few years, Qatar’s international airport has moved up the SKYTRAX ‘World’s Best Airport’ rankings, jumping to the third position in 2020. This is a testament to the airport’s visionary and innovative approach, implementation of passenger-empowering technologies and multi-dimensional lifestyle offering, making it the airport-of-choice for global travellers.
In the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the aviation industry, passenger traffic, air cargo demand and much more. In response to these unprecedented challenges, Qatar’s award-winning airport implemented stringent health and safety measures, acquired the latest technologies to optimise operations, while prioritising passenger and staff well-being. These comprehensive measures allowed HIA to keep its doors open throughout the worst months of the pandemic, ensuring families across the globe were reunited, and essential goods were delivered.
HIA transformed the airport experience by introducing advanced technological solutions such as fully autonomous disinfectant robots, thermal smart screening helmets, and ultraviolet baggage disinfection tunnels. To safeguard the well-being of travellers and airport staff, HIA introduced innovations such as contact-free self-check-in and transfer security screening, allowing passengers to move through key touchpoints with minimal physical contact.
Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, said that the various safety measures HIA has put in place to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is a marked achievement not only for the airport but for the country as well. A beacon of resilience, HIA’s agile and effective approach helped ensure innovative solutions were quickly applied to adapt to the new normal. We, at HIA, are committed to maintaining our operational excellence and being a safe choice for passengers during this difficult time.
Engr. Al-Meer added: “With our pre-existing business continuity plan in place, HIA optimised its airport operations while prioritising passenger and staff well-being and ensuring operational excellence. Our response to the pandemic was recognised by world-leading organisations such as SKYTRAX and British Standards Institution, positioning Qatar’s airport as a prominent example to airports around the world, making our country and our people proud.”
HIA is increasingly being recognised for its 5-star passenger experience and operational excellence, affirming its role as a gateway to Qatar while making Qatar a preferred destination for travellers. The airport’s uncompromising efforts in enhancing its airport experience have resulted in significant accolades. HIA is the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to receive a 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating by SKYTRAX, the first entity in the world to achieve independent certification from British Standards Institution (BSI) for its implementation of COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocols, and the first airport in the Middle East to receive the ISO 22301:2012 Business Continuity Management System Certification by BSI.
The airport is currently undertaking an expansion project to strengthen Qatar’s position as a global hub and cater to Qatar’s thriving economic diversification and growth resulting from the success of its national carrier, Qatar Airways. Focused on increasing capacity and its multi-dimensional facilities, the expansion project is set to increase HIA’s capacity to more than 53 million passengers annually by 2022, and the next phase, which will commence after the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, will increase HIA’s capacity to more than 60 million passengers per year. HIA’s expansion will also create thousands of job opportunities in Qatar, allowing the country to achieve its goals as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Designed to meet and exceed the expectations of today’s global travellers, Qatar’s airport is a diverse lifestyle destination of its own, integrating a world-class art collection, contemporary shopping and dining options, as well as splendid entertainment and relaxation facilities.
HIA and its award-winning partner, Qatar Duty-Free, continue to create unforgettable and unique retail experiences for travellers. Through HIA’s lifestyle offering, passengers receive a lasting impression of Qatar’s modern and authentic hospitality that reflects the country’s heritage and culture.
The SKYTRAX World Airport Awards are based on customer nominations across 100 nationalities of air travellers and include 550 airports worldwide. The survey evaluates customer satisfaction across 39 key performance indicators for airport service and product – from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration, through to departure at the gate.
