Doha: A giant teddy bear greets passengers as they enter Doha’s recently inaugurated Hamad International Airport (HIA). The stuffed animal, reportedly worth $6.8 million (Dh24.98 million), is one of the 28 art installations spread across the $21 billion airport. The mega aviation hub for Qatar Airways and the Middle East was formally launched in late May after a series of delays by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA).
While it may still be early to judge how the new airport fares in all aspects, the initial response from passengers has been encouraging. “Besides the slightly long walk to passport control, I think the authorities have done a great job with maximising the ease and comfort of passengers at HIA,” said Areej Qasim, who arrived at the airport from Saudi Arabia.
The distance between gates and immigration desks can be explained by the vastness of the airport, which spreads over 29 square kilometres on land that has been mostly reclaimed from the Arabian Gulf. In addition to the main terminal, a special VIP terminal has been built on the premises to cater for members of the royal family and top government officials.
In addition to some 100 food, beverage and retail outlets, the airport houses a mosque which can accommodate 500 worshippers, a swimming pool and an on-site hotel. The airport was initially set for a 2013 launch, which was then moved to January 2014 before finally opening operations on May 27.
Despite these delays, passengers complain of some facilities being inaccessible. Most prominent of these are the premium lounges for first and business class passengers, most of which are yet to become available for passengers. According to some reports, passengers are accommodated in these bespoke lounges as per availability and those that cannot avail of these facilities are compensated with air miles and vouchers to be used at Qatar Duty Free.
Some passengers have taken to social media outlets to express the inconvenience they have been facing, while others have also used these forums to show their appreciation for the new facilities. Hasan Siddiqi, a frequent business traveller, told Gulf News that the inability to access lounges does cause some inconvenience but was quick to point out other positives for frequent travellers.
“QCAA has provided free long-stay car parking at the new airport and it is a welcome move among people who travel for short periods frequently and don’t have to deal with the hassle of cabs every few weeks,” he said.
Short-stay car parking, which was free for almost a month since the launch, is free for the first half hour with each subsequent hour costing 5 riyals (Dh5.04).
Another move, which has been received warmly by passengers, is the introduction of “quiet rooms” across the terminal. These rooms offer reclining chairs and a softly-lit ambience for transit or departing passengers to relax.
During the eight weeks since its opening, the airport has won over local and international travellers but delays in making all facilities ready show that authorities rushed to launch in May in order to avoid further embarrassment following several delays since last year.
Qatar has been in the limelight internationally ever since it won the right to hold the Fifa World Cup in 2022 and while most of the coverage has blotted the country’s image, authorities hope that the unveiling of this state-of-the-art airport will bring some respite to the country. It remains to be seen whether HIA can achieve its aim of becoming the Middle East’s air traffic hub (and as some locals suggest, the world’s busiest airport) but the airport’s capacity and investment show signs of where it may be headed in the future.
Hafsa Adil is a freelance writer based in Doha