Hamad internationl – Qatar Airport – expansion plans
Hamad International Airport can be a pretty impressive airport when you arrive in Doha. It looks slick from the outside, and inside is not bad either, being light and airy, and with lots of space.
Today the airport showed plans of their next expansion to the audience at Cityscape Qatar in Doha. Aside from the vast increase in retail space, they are proposing a 10,000 sqm indoor tropical garden and a 268 sqm water feature as the focal point of the expanded terminal.
In a staged project, the expansion will allow the airport to deal with an increased capacity of 53 million flyers each year by 2022. The next phase (with no current completion date, will increast eh capacity to more than 60 million travellers annually.
If you thought they were putting in a lot of tropical gardens, then just remember that it is dwarfed by the 11.720 sqm of retail and food and beverage space.
Content of this Post:
Big lounge – huge! Al Mourjan lounge expands
The Al Mourjan lounge is pretty large already but is going to expand by 9,000 sqm, with the includionof spas, gyms, restaurants etc.
The initial expansion is timed to be ready for the world cup in 2020.
“Plans for the phase two expansion focuses 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.”
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker
So the news is
Here’s a list of significant features of the expansion:
- new tropical garden
- 85 m grid shell roof of performance glass
- new transfer area – will shorten passengers connection times
- nine additional wide-body aircraft stands
- new cargo terminal
- 11.720 sqm of retail and food and beverage space
- Al Mourjan lounge expands by 9,000 sqm
They even launched an animated walkthrough on twitter:
2PAXfly Takeout
This is already a great airport, and the Al Mourjan lounge is pretty good. Reportedly it does get crowded at peak times, and I have got a hint of this when I have been there, although its nothing like the crush at Sydney International Business lounge!
The Al Safwa First Class lounge (that you can now buy access to) is said by many to be one of the top 3 first-class lounges in the world. I couldn’t possibly comment, because no one has allowed me to access it yet!
The expansion of the Al Mourjan lounge is a good move and the presence of a tropical garden – will always make me happy.
Some people are unkindly charging HIA with a ‘Bitch stole my look’ moment from Singapore’s Changi ‘Jewel’
Again, I couldn’t possibly comment.
What did you say?