Doha, Qatar: The Civil Aviation Authority of Qatar (CAAQ) released preliminary air transport statistics for January 2026, revealing a robust start to the year.

The data shows significant year-on-year growth in aircraft movements, passenger traffic, and cargo handling, signaling a continued upward trajectory for the nation’s aviation hub.

According to the CAAQ report, January 2026 saw a 6 percent increase in aircraft movements, rising from 23,936 in January 2025 to 25,379 this year.

Passenger numbers also experienced a healthy surge, with 5.065 million travelers passing through the country, representing a 6.8 percent increase compared to the 4.743 million recorded in the same month last year.

The most significant growth was seen in the logistics sector as the air cargo and mail traffic witnessed a double-digit jump of 11.2 percent, moving from 190,018 tons in 2025 to 211,281 tons in January 2026.

Khamis Abdullah Alkhelaifi, an ICAO Ground Instructor, notes that the foundation for this growth was built on a high-performing 2025.

“The strong annual performance in 2025 suggests that traffic levels in early 2026 (including January) likely maintained robust momentum, supported by expanded global connections and continued demand for both leisure and business travel,” the aviation analyst stated.

He further emphasised that the scale of operations has remained consistently high. “In 2025, the airport and carriers handled a substantial number of aircraft movements and network breadth, indicating sustained operational scale going into January 2026.”

Alkhelaifi highlighted that a key driver of these figures is the strategic expansion of the national carrier, pointing out that the airline has been aggressively scaling its capacity to meet this rising demand.

“Qatar Airways continued to grow its network in early 2026, including deployment of Airbus A380 aircraft on select routes from mid-January onwards, indicative of capacity expansion and demand growth,” he said.

Furthermore, the growth is backed by a reputation for reliability.

Alkhelaifi explained that “Qatar Airways maintained strong operational performance, winning a Platinum Award for on-time performance across a complex global network with an on-time rate of approximately 84 percent in 2025, a solid indicator of industry reliability going into 2026.”

The surge in cargo volumes is particularly notable, aligning with broader regional trends.

The aviation expert remarked that the region saw “global cargo gains in late 2025,” which have proven supportive of ongoing freight demand into the new year.

As Qatar continues to expand its global footprint, these early 2026 figures suggest that the aerospace sector remains a vital engine for the nation’s economic growth and connectivity.

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