Doha, Qatar— More than ten million passengers traveled through Qatar’s Hamad International Airport in the first quarter of the current year, marking a 44.5 percent jump.
The airport, according to Qatar News Agency, received 3.56 million passengers in the month of January, followed by 3.24 million in February, and 3.5 million in March.
At the same time, aircraft movement soared 18 percent to 56,417 in the first quarter of 2023.
It saw 19,377 aircraft landing and departing in January, 17,479 in February and 19,561 in March.
The airport during the first quarter handled more than 540,000 tons of cargo and moved over 8 million bags.
According to Badr Mohammad Al-Meer, chief operating officer of Hamad International Airport: “These numbers demonstrate the resilience of our industry and the vital role that airports play in connecting people. We will always strive toward excellence and ensure that Hamad International Airport remains the top choice for passengers traveling to and from the Middle East and the world.”
The airport’s busiest destinations during the first quarter of the year were London, Bangkok, Dhaka, Manila and Jeddah.
“With our robust operations and investment in our growth plans, we will continue to magnify our airport infrastructure and product offering to reinforce our competitive position in the aviation industry,” added Al-Meer.
Hamad International Airport was ranked in March as the second-best airport in the world, along with winning titles for “World’s Best Airport Shopping” and “Best Airport in the Middle East” for the ninth time in a row, at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2023.
Last year, the airport registered a 101.9 percent increase in passenger traffic to 35.73 million passengers over 2021. It also witnessed a 28.3 percent increase in aircraft movements to 217,875 during the same period.
As part of the airport operations plan of Qatar Co. for Airports Operation and Management, Hamad International Airport and Doha International Airport enhanced their operations during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and introduced customer-centric activities and processes to deliver a safe, seamless and memorable experience.
The airport inaugurated in 2014 is home to the national carrier Qatar Airways.