Hamad International Airport in Doha Prepares for 1 April 2013 Opening

In preparation for the soft opening of Hamad International Airport (HIA), the State of Qatar’s brand new airport on 1st April 2013, a series of advanced passenger trials have been taking place at the new facility.

More than 1,000 men, women and children have gone through the trials to test the operations of passenger facilities from check-in and immigration to aircraft boarding and arrivals.

Over the next couple of weeks, a further 2,500 people will go through trials to ensure a smooth and successful transition of operations of flights from the current Doha International Airport (DIA) to Hamad International Airport.

The advanced trials are a key milestone for HIA as it prepares for the historic opening. Ten airlines will begin operating from Hamad International Airport on 1 April 2013, while Qatar Airways, the main user of the facility, will switch its entire operations from DIA to HIA by the end of the year.

Hamad International will be Qatar’s new gateway to the world. Flights from the 10 airlines will operate out of concourse B, and utilise the eastern runway, which is the largest of the two runways at HIA at just under 5,000 metres.