Qatar’s Hamad International Airport...

Qatar and neighbouring Gulf countries experience strong passenger growth in 2022

Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) has reported a 164% increase in passenger numbers in the first half of 2022 compared with the same period last year.

According to figures released by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), HIA handled 15.6 million passengers in H1, almost three times more than the 5.9 million figure for the first half of 2021.

Aircraft movements also rose during the first half of 2022, up 33% year on year. The QCAA said HIA operated 100,594 aircraft flights, compared with 75,533 in H1 2021. For June 2022 alone, passenger numbers at HIA were up by 149% year on year and aircraft movements up by 39%, according to the QCAA.

Looking ahead to 2022 as a whole, the QCAA predicted passenger traffic at Qatar’s leading airport would grow by between 90% and 105% to approximately 34 million.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 21 to December 18 which will further boost the airport’s footfall.

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Elsewhere in the Gulf, Dubai Media Office has reported a return to near pre-pandemic tourist levels with 7.12 million international visitors arriving in Dubai in the first half of 2022. This represented a 183% growth in visitors compared to the 2.52 million tourists who visited Dubai during the same period in 2021, according to Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.

Ras Al Khaimah's visitor numbers in the first half of the year have also been impressive with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) announcing its highest visitor numbers since the onset of Covid-19. The Emirate has welcomed more than 521,085 international and domestic visitors between January and June 2022, a total increase of 21% vs H1 2021 and a return to pre-pandemic figures from YTD June 2019.

For more information, visit www.caa.gov.qa and www.dohahamadairport.com