Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) saw cargo tonnage continue to grow strongly during the first half of 2016 by a full 20.3 per cent year-on-year, totalling 817,792 tonnes, further strengthening HIA’s position as one of the world’s major cargo hubs. Passenger numbers also grew, by a similar 20 per cent in the same period to 17.6 million.
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 as well as new flights by Philippine Airlines, Atlas Global Airlines and Himalaya Airlines.
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.