Qatar's Hamad International Airport expands with new concourses

Qatar's Hamad International Airport has officially opened two new concourses, D and E. This expansion is a key step towards increasing the airport's capacity to more than 65 million passengers each year. In 2024, the airport served about 52.7 million passengers. The expansion project began in 2018 and is now complete. The new concourses are part of an overall plan that began in 2022 with the introduction of a large indoor tropical garden called the Orchard. With the addition of Concourses D and E, the airport's total size has grown by 14% to 842,000 square meters. There are now 62 aircraft contact gates, a 40% increase, which will improve operations and reduce the need for bus transfers. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Group CEO of Qatar Airways, expressed pride in finishing the project ahead of schedule. He emphasized that the expansion is important not just for capacity but also for enhancing the airline's operations and supporting Qatar’s economic goals as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030. The new concourses feature self-boarding systems to make the process quicker for passengers. Advanced technology allows for fast document checks and decreases wait times. This upgrade enables the airport to handle more international airlines and offer more direct flights. Finally, the expansion includes an additional 2,700 square meters of retail space. This development aims to improve passenger flow and service efficiency at the airport, according to Hamad Ali Al Khater, the airport's Chief Operating Officer.