Qatar is all set to open the Doha International Airport anticipating huge passenger volume ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The airport is currently used by Qatar’s royal family and VIPs along with its air force.
The FIFA World Cup starts on November 20, 2022, and will continue for about a month. During this time the airport authorities are expecting over 150,000 a day during peak days.
The Doha airport has been in semi-retirement since it was replaced in 2014 by the nearby Hamad International Airport, which has since become a major hub. Hamad International Airport recorded passenger traffic of about three million passengers in June 2022 alone and 8.42 million in the second quarter of 2022. It is also undergoing an expansion leading to a capacity rise of 58 million passengers a year.
In spite of this, with over a million passengers arriving during the World Cup season, Hamid airport might struggle to cope.
Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways, the UAE’s flydubai, Oman’s SalamAir, and Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines have begun selling tickets to Doha airport from September 15, 2022. Qatari authorities did not comment on the move. Gulf airlines from Dubai, Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia would run more than 100 daily shuttles into Doha airport during the tournament.
During the tournament, only fans with tickets will be allowed in the Gulf state.
