Important details on the expansion of the retail and F&B offer at Hamad International Airport (HIA) have emerged today (22 October).

In the clearest sign yet of HIA’s aspirational commercial objectives designed to buffer its status as a five-star airport, the Qatar hub will add 11,720sq m of contemporary retail and F&B space.

A 9,000sq m Al Mourjan lounge will be positioned above the retail area with dramatic views of a centrally located 10,000sq m indoor tropical garden and a 268sq m water feature, as the airport embarks on a two-phase (A and B) development plan.

HIA revealed information to real estate investors at the Cityscape Qatar show in Doha (22-24 October), as reported earlier.

TWO-PHASE PROJECT

Phase A of the expansion comprises the central concourse linking concourses D and E, with construction slated to begin in early 2020. This will lift the airport’s capacity to more than 53 million by 2022.

Following this, phase B will extend concourses D and E to enable HIA to handle more than 60m passengers annually.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker stated: “The expansion of Hamad International Airport is a vital part of the future success of the Qatar Airways Group, and of course of the country’s preparations to host the 2022 World Cup and beyond.

“It is also a strong sign that Qatar’s economy is robust and acts as a further economic stimulus, providing excellent opportunities for local and international contractors.

“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.”

Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA and the subject of an exclusive video interview with TRBusiness published earlier today, added: “Since we started our operations in 2014, it has been our goal to provide our passengers with a unique travel experience, keeping their needs as our top priority.

“The expansion will continue to redefine the airport experience, cementing HIA’s reputation as a destination gateway and critical international hub.

“Our expansion has been designed to seamlessly integrate with the existing terminal, allowing smooth passenger flow and improving the overall passenger experience by minimising travel distances for connections and providing clarity and intuitive wayfinding.

“The beautiful new landscaped spaces and water feature will allow our passengers to benefit from the calming effects of nature, thus improving their level of comfort while with us. Our ultimate aim at HIA is to become a destination in our own right, not just a gateway.”

ADDITIONAL PASSENGER FACILITIES

Alongside the new commercial areas and green space will be additional spas, gymnasiums, restaurants, business centres and other passenger facilities at the aforementioned Al Mourjan lounge.

The flora for the indoor tropical garden will be sourced from sustainable forests globally.

A column-free, long-span, 85m grid-shell roof with performance glass for light control will allow trees to acclimatise to the internal conditions of the terminal.

In addition, a new transfer area will speed up passengers’ connection times and improve their overall transfer experience.

Meanwhile, a new cargo terminal is set to increase capacity to an estimated 3.2m tons per year.

HIA has served more than 187m passengers since it opened in 2014.

Stay close to TRBusiness for the latest on HIA’s ambitious expansion programme as it develops…