Qatar’s Hamad International Airport has revealed plans for a second expansion to increase its passenger handling capacity ahead of the 2022 World Cup finals, including the addition of a 10,000 sq m indoor tropical garden and a 268 sq m water feature.
The airport, which was completed in 2013 and is run by Qatar Airways, will be extended in two stages. The first will increase the size of the hub between concourses D and E, and will boost capacity to more than 53 million passengers by 2022. Work on this is to begin early next year and will be completed in time for the World Cup.
Phase B, which will be finished after 2022, will extend concourses D and E to increase Hamad’s capacity to more than 60 million. The airport, which is Qatar’s only international facility, handled 34.5 million people in 2018.
The new areas will include 11,720 sq m of landscaped retail space enlivened by public art. There will also be a 9,000 sq m lounge complete with spas, gymnasiums, restaurants and business centres.
Hamad International shared this rendering of the extension on Twitter
As well as the passenger side, the cargo terminal will be expanded to increase the airport’s freight capacity to 3.2 million tonnes. This is expected to be completed by 2023.
Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group’s chief executive, commented: "The expansion of Hamad International Airport is a vital part of the future success of the Qatar Airways Group, and of course of the country’s preparations to host the 2022 World Cup and beyond.
"It is also a strong sign that Qatar’s economy is robust and acts as a further economic stimulus, providing excellent opportunities for local and international contractors. Plans for the phase two expansion focus on capacity and passenger experience – we want to provide even better airport journeys to more people around the world. The expansion will allow us to do this."
Top image: Hamad’s present centrepiece is the "Lamp Bear" (Max221B/CC BY-SA 4.0)
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