DOHA: Hamad International Airport has been ranked as the fourth best airport in the world at the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2019, which took place during the Passenger Terminal Expo 2019 in London, United Kingdom. HIA has also once again been ranked as a five-star Airport and was honoured with the title of ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fourth year in a row.

The awards recognize HIA’s innovative facilities, five-star customer service and state-of-the-art terminal which accommodates more than 30 million passengers annually. The 2019 World Airport Awards by Skytrax are based on nominations from millions of passengers across more than 500 participating airports worldwide, making them one of largest passenger interaction survey awards in the world.

Commenting on the results of the Skytrax World Airport Awards, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, stated: “We are delighted with our progress and ranking at this year’s Skytrax Awards as we successfully moved up in our ranking to ‘Fourth Best Airport in the World’ while maintaining our five-star status and our titles as  ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the fifth consecutive year and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fourth consecutive year. We are committed to raising the bar when it comes to the airport experience and will continue to invest in our facilities, services and technologies that distinguish us as the airport of choice for millions of passengers around the world.”

“Skytrax holds a very special place for all us at HIA, because it’s a platform for our passengers and travellers to share their view on their experiences with us. We are truly honoured and humbled by the support and loyalty of our customers and are motivated more than ever to continue to deliver excellence and meet the needs of our passengers and community at large,” Al Meer added.

The Skytrax 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.

The Skytrax World Airport Awards took place in parallel to The Passenger Terminal Expo & Conference 2019, the world’s largest annual airport exhibition and airport networking event of the year, where HIA delegates gave a series of addresses on airport planning and development, asset management, customer experience, and airport-airline sustainability collaboration.

HIA’s VP of Facilities Management, Michael McMillan, discussed Asset Management at HIA as a strategic approach rather than a formula, asserting that both a collective shift in beliefs and attitudes is needed and that asset management requires personal commitment as well as professional development.

Sujata Suri, HIA’s Vice President of Strategy & Customer Experience, chaired the panel discussion on customer service and passenger experience, while Ioannis Metsovitis, HIA’s Vice President of Operations, chaired the session on Airport Design, Planning & Development in the Middle East & Asia, also discussing the next phase of HIA’s highly-anticipated expansion plan.

The second phase of HIA’s expansion plan, launched in early 2019, will accommodate a capacity of 53 million passengers annually by 2022 as well as an increase in cargo capacity to 3 million tonnes per year. In addition to physical capacity enhancements, Mr. Metsovitis discussed the expected improvements in operational efficiency, including increased automation to allow 50 percent of passengers to perform self check-in, increase in airspace capacity, and optimized baggage handling processes. The expansion is a key part of Qatar’s preparations to host the 2022 World Cup where the country will witness a large number of visitors to the global sporting event.

Qatar’s award-winning airport remains focused on redefining the airport experience, from its implementation of cutting-edge technology, strategic expansion plan, 5-star customer service and operational excellence, that makes HIA the airport of choice for millions of passengers around the world. The young and ambitious airport is set to celebrate its 5-year anniversary this coming May.

-Ends-

HIA, the gateway to Qatar and to the World.
Positioned at the edge of the Arabian Gulf, Hamad International Airport’s tranquil waterside setting provides a perfect backdrop for its stylish architectural elements, underpinned by advanced airport systems in line with its ‘Smart Airport’ vision. Operating 24/7, the airport features two runways, a state-of-the-art air traffic control tower and currently processes 30 million passengers per year and 360,000 aircraft per year. With over 40,000 square meters of combined retail, food and beverage facilities, unmatched spa facilities and a collection of unique art pieces from internationally acclaimed artists, HIA is a destination on its own, designed for the modern traveler. 

Qatar Airways, Qatar Duty Free and Hamad International Airport will jointly host the world's most influential airport commercial revenues conference, The Trinity Forum. The conference, organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI World and ACI Asia-Pacific, will take place in Doha from 30-31 October 2019.

HIA is a five-star airport by Skytrax and ranked Fifth Best Airport in the World by the 2018 Skytrax World Airport Awards.

For more information, visit HIA’s website www.dohahamadairport.com and follow the airport’s latest news on HIA’s social media channels: ,  and .

For HIA corporate images, please click here

Further contact details:
Hamad International Airport,
Commercial and Marketing Department
Tel: +974 4010 2523
Fax: +974 4010 4010
E-mail: hiamedia@hamadairport.com.qa 

© Press Release 2019

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