Hamad reflects on the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2022 as an Arab nation. The Hamad International Airport considers its event preparations
Qatar’s award-winning Hamad International Airport (DOH) did everything possible to ensure visitors traveling to, from, or through the hub had a flawless and pleasant experience as the country prepared to welcome football fans for the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Viewing area HIAHamad International Airport Passengers waiting for outgoing planes might continue to watch football.
The mega-events preparations got off well in advance with creating an airport operations plan, which was tested during the FIFA Arab Cup 2021. A peer review was conducted, and organizations who have previously organized events of a comparable size and aviation industry bodies appraised the concept. Accurate data gathering, coordination of ground and air activities, and speedy, in-the-moment decision-making were all made possible by an event management center that was manned and managed around the clock.
Both Hamad International and Doha International airports now have overflow facilities for passengers, with capacity for 24,000 and 12,000 departing passengers per day, respectively. This enhanced the movement of spectators and travelers throughout the competition. In addition to showing the tournament games, the facilities featured a variety of food and beverage options, shop and gaming areas, kid-friendly attractions, luggage storage, and flight information screens. Regardless of the airline they were flying with, passengers with between four and eight hours before departure could access this area.
Hamad reflects on the 2022 FIFA World Cup
To enable fans to keep expressing their passion of the game, a plethora of passenger-centric experiences were added. The airport had more than 20 themed parades to honor Qatari culture and tradition, among other things. The airport also introduced virtual activities, including a booth where you could try on your team’s shirt and an augmented reality game where La’eeb, the FIFA World Cup 2022’s official mascot, would respond to the players.
In November 2022, the first stage of the expansion project for Hamad International Airport was presented. This added 125,000m2 to the main terminal. The Orchard, a 6,000 square meter indoor tropical garden with a 575 square meter water feature, is the new space’s most distinguishing feature. A 16,000m2 multi-dimensional retail and F&B offering is surrounded by over 300 trees and 25,000 plants and shrubs, creating a quiet environment.
Over 58 million passengers can now travel annually to more than 170 destinations through Hamad International Airport. The airport’s capacity will soon increase to more than 70 million passengers annually as work on the second phase of its expansion project is already begun.
