DOHA’S HAMAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BECOMES GULF REGION’S BUSIEST HUB

According to a study by ForwardKeys, the growth in numbers of transfer passengers at Hamad International Airport in Doha is the fastest in the Gulf.

The continuous expansion of Qatar Airways’ network as well as the lifting, early this year, of the ban by Qatar’s neighbours, have propelled Hamad International Airport (HIA) to the busiest transfer hub in the Gulf area.

According to ForwardKeys, in the first half of 2021, the volume of air tickets via Doha was 18% higher than competitors in the region. Current booking for the second half of the year through Doha are 17% higher than at neighbouring airports.

The major factor driving the trend was the lifting, in January, of the blockade of flights to and from Qatar, which had a negative effect on the airport’s activity. The end of the ban translated immediately into the resumption of flights to Cairo, Dammam, Dubai, Jeddah and Riyadh, to HIA., boosting the flow of transfer passengers. HIA recorded the strongest growth in passengers to Sao Paulo, Kiev, Dhaka, Stockholm, Johannesburg, Male and Lahore.

Looking at data for the third quarter, seat capacity between Doha and its neighbours in the Middle East will reach 95% of pre-pandemic levels. 51.7% of this is allocated to reinstated routes to/from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

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