Qatar's ambitious plans for a Gulf hub in Doha are set to see suppliers of airport services flocking to their stand, Alan Peaford reports on Akbar Al Baker's enhanced plans and his high expectations
Suppliers of airport equipment and services will be making a bee line for the Qatar Airways stand (E844) hoping for the promise of work from the ambitious new plans to build a Gulf hub in Doha, Qatar's capital.
Plans for a new airport were announced two years ago but the Qataris stunned the industry at London's World Travel Market last month with enhanced plans for the airport that will cost more than $2 billion in the first phase alone.
Half of its area will be reclaimed from the sea.
"The new Doha International Airport will be designed to be one of the best airports in the world," says Akbar Al Baker, chief executive of Doha International Airport and Qatar Airways. "For a visitor, the first point of contact with Qatar is generally the airport – and it is our driving priority to ensure that the best-ever facilities will welcome first-time and return visitors.
"Our new airport will set the benchmark for all future airports. It will be an international signature for the vision of Qatar."
Until the new airport is opened, the existing airport will be significantly upgraded under a $38 million programme this year, part of a broader $140 million budgeted to increase the annual capacity of the airport from 4.2 million to 7.5 million passengers. The gas-rich neighbour to the UAE, about 800km (500 miles) west of Dubai, will start construction of the new state-of-the-art airport next year. Its design capacity, with two parallel runways, will be 12 million passengers a year.
The terminal is scheduled to have 24 contact gates in the first phase and will be able to accommodate two Airbus A380-800 Super Jumbos. It will take up to six A380-800s when fully developed. The complex will also include three luxury hotels.
"Importantly, the new airport will position Doha and Qatar as a leading regional aviation hub for at least the next 50 years," says Al Baker.
"The airport will also be pivotal to the continued significant growth of Qatar Airways as a global airline. The new airport will allow us to offer our passengers fast and efficient connections as we build a route network of at least 60 destinations by 2005-end."
The Qataris will be marketing to major airlines in a bid to add to the 22 carriers that already fly to the city "The new airport's world-class airline and passenger facilities will be an irresistible incentive for major international airlines to operate through Doha," says Al Baker.
The 2,200-hectare airport site is to the east of the existing Doha International Airport. It will be developed in three stages, with work onsite to start in the middle of 2004 and final completion by 2015.
Phase 1 will be completed by late 2008 or early 2009 and will include reclamation of nearly half the site; parallel runways of 4,850m (16,000ft) and 4,250m: a 130,000m2 three-storey terminal; at least seven remote gates; two hotels, one a transit hotel within the terminal; more than 25,000m2 of retail facilities and lounges; a VIP terminal; a maintenance centre with hangars that can accommodate two A380-800s and three A340s at any one time; a cargo facility with a capacity of 750,000 tonnes per annum; a general aviation terminal and hangar; courier and mail facility; a free trade zone and business park, new Qatar Airways headquarters building and training facilities; and the leasing of two A330-200s for five years from July 2004.
Phases 2 and 3 will expand the airport to give it the capacity to handle 50 million passengers a year – the same levels as Dallas Fort Worth or Paris CDG.
Source: Flight Daily News
