(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: Hamad International Airport (HIA) has welcomed 120 million passengers since the beginning of its operations in May 27, 2014 till the end of 2017. Last year, Cargo observed an increase by 14.52 percent, with total of 1.9 million tonnes in handling.
HIA successfully recovered its passenger numbers with an average monthly increase of 3.75 percent in the second half of year, after the initial drop in volume in June 2017 due to the restrictions imposed on the country.
HIA has been recognised for its punctuality, ranking next to first, among the most punctual major airports scoring 85.41 percent on-time performance (OTP), as demonstrated in aviation analysts OAG's 2017 Punctuality Report released recently.
Looking ahead, HIA is currently preparing the launch of a major new art piece by KAWS during the first quarter of 2018 and is working on new global partnerships to build on HIA's best-in-class passenger experience.
HIA's resilience is due to new strategic partnerships and to a combined effort from the airport, its national carrier, Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism Authority, who have worked together to encourage and promote tourism and travel in Qatar.
While Qatar Airways accelerated its global expansion with the launching of 10 new destinations in 2017, Qatar Tourism Authority's efforts to allow visa-free entry for citizens of 80 countries makes Qatar the most ‘open country' in the region and supports HIA's growth to a great extent.
Meanwhile, HIA has welcomed several new airlines which started operations in Qatar in 2017 including Oman's SalamAir, Kuwait's Al Wataniya Airlines and Jazeera Airways, Bangladesh's Regent Airways and US Bangla, and IndiGo, India's largest and fastest growing low-cost carrier.
'HIA is a very resilient and busy airport with a clear vision enabling operational excellence, a solid growth strategy managed by a talented team committed to provide the best travel experience, in addition to joining forces with a world class airline. Its strategic geographical location at crossroads of the Eastern and Western part of the world gives HIA a strong competitive advantage, commented Engr Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA.
'At HIA we aim to offer a safe and seamless experience for our customers travelling through the airport and will continue to put the passenger at the core of our strategy and our investments, he added.
Year 2017 was a successful year for HIA on multiple fronts. 'Since its opening in 2014, HIA's overall achievements are unmatched by any other airport in the region. HIA continues to be one of the fastest-growing hubs in the world, he added.
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