QATAR. Qatar Duty Free (QDF) sales climbed +9% year-on-year in the 12 months to 31 March 2026, Qatar Airways Group announced today (20 May).
The group noted in its annual report, “Amid a complex geopolitical landscape, QDF demonstrated agility and resilience, adapting swiftly to shifting conditions while maintaining operational excellence.
“This disciplined and experience-led approach contributed to continued commercial performance, with sales recording a +9% year-on-year increase, outperforming passenger growth. This reflects higher traveller engagement and spend, driven by QDF’s immersive retail activations, diversified offerings and the strength of the seamless travel experience delivered across the Qatar Airways Group.”
Qatar Airways Group announced post-tax profit of QAR 7.08 billion (US$1.94 billion) for the financial year. The figure represented a fall of -9.8% year-on-year but the company said it demonstrated “a robust performance against a final month impacted by significant geopolitical events”.
The airline carried more than 41.8 million passengers, down -3% year-on-year.
Group revenue reached QAR83.4 billion (US$22.8 billion), down -2.6% year-on-year.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Hamad Al-Khater said: “It is not often that a single financial year asks an organisation to demonstrate both the best of what it can achieve and the depth of what it can withstand. The 2025/26 financial year did both, and the Qatar Airways Group rose to each in turn.
“These results speak to the strength of this Group across every measure that matters – a strong balance sheet, industry-leading operations, partnerships of real depth, and people who maintained the standards this Group is known for, even under the most demanding conditions.”
In the group’s 2025/2026 annual report, Qatar Airways highlighted a year of “steady growth and continued evolution for Qatar Duty Free, supported by a clear commitment to ‘experiencentricity’ – placing the passenger experience firmly at the centre of every initiative”.
The report noted, “This focus proved to be both purposeful and impactful as passenger growth numbers stabilised, highlighting the value of enhancing traveller touchpoints across the airport journey.”
During the year, QDF introduced 15 new retail concepts and 16 more F&B units to Hamad International Airport.
Notable additions included:
- Brunello Cucinelli, Zegna and Tom Ford boutiques
- Pop Mart’s first store in the Middle East
- THE Ü STUDIO multi-brand eyewear destination
- Lancôme Café de la Rose – a global airport first
- Flat White speciality coffee
- Slicy’s NY-style pizza with local personality
The expansion of Hamad International Airport’s D and E concourses, completed at the end of 2024/25 financial year, supported this momentum, increasing retail and dining capacity by 2,700sq m.
The annual report added: “During the year, QDF continued to enhance its data capabilities through updates to its 36Q 2.0 platform, enabling partners to access clearer performance insights and plan more targeted activations. This work is supported by the Qatar Airways Group’s integrated Trinity model, which aligns insights and execution across the airline, airport and retail operations.”
Strong operational resilience at QDF also contributed to group performance.
The report noted, “When the temporary closure of the airspace of the State of Qatar briefly affected operations in June 2025, the retail and hospitality teams worked with airport stakeholders to support passenger needs and restore services swiftly while prioritising passenger safety.
“This spirit of adaptability proved equally critical in responding to the operational impacts arising from the evolving geopolitical situation, including temporary regional airspace closures during the final quarter of the reporting period.
“Qatar Duty Free teams remained fully engaged, both remotely and on-site at Hamad International Airport, ensuring readiness for the gradual resumption of operations and supporting the continued delivery of a safe, reassuring and well-coordinated passenger experience.”
Of the wider outlook, Hamad Al-Khater said: “We are actively rebuilding our global network with the confidence that comes from a balance sheet that has never been stronger, partnerships that proved their depth when we needed them most, and an organisation that has demonstrated, under genuine pressure, exactly what it is capable of.”
Qatar Airways continues to rebuild its global schedule with the aim to reaching more than 160 destinations this summer. ✈
Footnote: In late 2024, Moodie Davitt STUDIO unveiled Airport Wonders of the World, a film series dedicated as the name suggests to the greatest gateways on the planet.
The inaugural production, a three-part series of short films, focused on Hamad International Airport in Doha and Qatar Duty Free’s retail, dining, hospitality and leisure attractions, has been launched in phases over recent weeks.
The series portrays the Doha gateway as a destination in itself. Click on the YouTube icons to view the episodes, which were also shown onboard Qatar Airway’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, Oryx One.
Episode 1
The first film in the series features an overview of Hamad International Airport’s myriad wonders, including Orchard, the airport’s extraordinary 6,000sq m garden; a diverse arts and culture programme; superlative lounge facilities; and much more.
Episode 2
This enthralling episode will certainly whet your appetite. It focuses on Qatar Duty Free’s multi-FAB Award-winning food & beverage proposition, exploring the diverse, multi-cuisine, 200+ outlets dining offer that ranges from grab-and-go to accessibly priced food courts and fine-dining experiences – unforgettably encapsulated in the Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno.
We talk to David Sosson, Qatar Duty Free’s Head of Culinary Operations, about the pride, passion and professionalism that he and his team pour into serving the travelling public across a network of culinary excellence that remains open around the clock. Remarkably, all food is prepared freshly on-site each and every day.
Episode 3
This episode portrays a retail wonderland. It showcases in highly cinematic style Qatar Duty Free’s Skytrax- and Frontier Award-winning shopping line-up, including an in-store interview with Thabet Musleh, the dynamic and visionary Qatar Airways Group Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer.
