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The Executive Board of Directors of Qatar Airways Group has announced the establishment of a new company to manage and operate Hamad International Airport (HIA) as an independent entity owned by Qatar Airways Group.
The decision was announced at the board meeting held on January 31. Further there are also plans to expand the airport capacity to 50 million passengers.
Having opened in 2014, the airport serves 30 million passengers a year, and can handle 100 aircraft movements per hour on its dual-runways.
Within two years of its opening, HIA has earned several world-class awards and recognitions including the Skytrax 5-Star Airport award – the only Middle Eastern airport to have earned this honour; Skytrax’s Middle East’s Best Airport in 2015 and 2016; Skytrax Best Staff Service in the Middle East 2016; and previously Best Airport Award at the Future Travel Experience (FTE) Asia Awards in 2015.
HIA is the official airport of Bayern-Munich Football Club. Services and facilities at HIA include Qatar Duty Free, a premium shopping emporium with more than 40,000 square metres of combined retail and dining with more than 70 boutiques and 30 cafés and restaurants.
Hamad International Airport has an airside hotel, two airside squash courts, a gym, a 25-metre swimming pool and spa, all within easy reach of the departure gates.
The airport has one of the largest free span maintenance hangars in the world, a cutting-edge two-storey cargo facility, and one of the world’s largest self-contained catering facilities.
The formation of a new company to manage and operate the airport is expected to help the growth of the airport.
© The Peninsula 2017
