QATAR. Hamad International Airport (HIA) has been ranked second among world airports at the 2019 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. The recognition was achieved based on a poll among readers of the well-known New York travel magazine, Travel + Leisure, covering criteria including access, check-in, security, restaurants, shopping and design.
HIA’s shopping and dining offering, which is spread across 40,000sq m of combined retail, food & beverage options, was a major factor in its success. The most recent additions at the airport include an opening for the Swiss chocolatier Läderach in the main terminal and the first Del Monte F&B store in Qatar, offering passengers a new outlet catering for the health-conscious traveller.
Other factors in HIA’s success include passengers being given autonomy for the check-in process through the airport’s Smart Airport Program. This has seen the introduction of self-check-in and bag drop kiosks which are biometric enabled, making the check-in process faster.
HIA has also increased its security capacity for screening in its transfer areas and reduced queuing time. In addition, the airport has further improved customer service in the transfer security areas, allowing at least 95% of its transfer passengers to queue for under five minutes.
Hamad International Airport Chief Operating Officer Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer said: “We are very proud to be recognised by our loyal passengers for the seamless airport experience offered by Hamad International Airport.
“To be named the world’s second-best airport is a great achievement and testament to HIA’s high international standards. While this is a great recognition, we never rest on our achievements, and constantly evolve to deliver a true unique experience for our passengers.”
HIA has also recently been named Skytrax’s Fourth Best Airport in the World for 2019, climbing up one place from last year. Classified as a five-star airport, HIA is one of only five gateways to achieve this status.
The airport was also awarded the title of ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fourth consecutive year.
HIA said it is expanding its terminal to strengthen its ability to scale and compete with leading airports while increasing connectivity for airlines and passengers. The expansion will include retail, dining, and first class and business lounges in the North Node.
There will be an expanded passenger capacity of 53 million passengers at HIA by 2022, compared with 34.5 million handled in 2018.
Note: Hamad International Airport, alongside Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free, will host The Trinity Forum, the world’s most influential airport commercial revenues conference, in Doha on 30-31 October 2019. The Forum is a joint venture between The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI World and ACI Asia-Pacific. Read the latest details of the event here.
