Hamad International Airport has welcomed 17.6 million passengers during the first half of 2016, registering a growth of more than 20 per cent compared to the 14.6 million passengers served during the same period last year, setting a new passenger record for the airport.

HIA also saw a significant increase in aircraft operations from January to June with a total of 118,069 movements, which represents a 17 per cent increase in aircraft take-offs and landings at the airport, compared to the same period in 2015.

This growth is attributed to the continuous expansion of Qatar Airways with eight new destinations added in the first half of the year namely: Adelaide, Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Los Angeles, Marrakech, Ras Al Khaimah and Yerevan.

Cargo tonnage continued to grow strongly by 20.3 per cent totalling 817,792 tonnes during the same period, further strengthening HIA’s position as one of the world’s major cargo hubs. 

HIA’s top routes in regards to passenger numbers during the first half of this year were Dubai, London, Bangkok, Bahrain and Colombo, generating collectively 20.3 per cent of the airport’s traffic.

The UAE topped all countries in terms of total passenger numbers followed by India, Saudi Arabia, USA and United Kingdom.

Regionally, the Far East achieved a 33.6 per cent share of passenger movements, followed by the Middle East with 22 per cent and Europe with 21.6 per cent during the same period.

Commenting on the airport’s figures, Mohammed Al Meer, chief operating officer at Hamad International Airport, said: “The first six months of this year have been the busiest for our airport to date, achieving record passenger and aircraft movement traffic.

“We expect HIA to continue demonstrating a healthy and steady growth in passenger numbers for the rest of the year, supporting Qatar’s vision for HIA to be leader among global aviation hubs.”

Hamad International Airport is the hub for its home base carrier Qatar Airways, which now flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide, making Doha a global hub for business and leisure travel.