HIA passengers up, QDF sales up, QDF SPP, QDF per passenger spend
Hamad International Airport (HIA) and Qatar Duty Free (QDF) both saw large upsurges in 2021. The airport served 41.37% more passengers in 2021 vs 2020, for a total of 17,702,635 passengers, and those passengers spent on average 70% more at QDF. Aircraft movement and cargo operations were also up, to a lesser degree, up 28.12% and 20.71% respectively. The airport now serves 156 destinations — with the top five departing destinations being Dhaka, Male, Dubai, Kathmandu and London. New airline partner, RwandaAir, joined HIA in 2021.
The year 2021 brought numerous accolades to HIA including “Best Airport in the Middle East” “Best Airport 25 to 35 million Passengers” “Best Airport Staff in the Middle East” and “COVID-19 Airport Excellence”, but the most notable was “Best Airport in the World 2021”, ranked number one by SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2021. The airport is a contender for this prestigious award once again in 2022.
Qatar Duty Free
QDF also had an exciting year, launching its “21 in 21” plus Viale Del Lusso, the luxury fashion avenue, including Valentino’s first airport boutique in the Middle East, Emilio Pucci’s first stand-alone airport boutiques in the Middle East, Fendi and Jimmy Choo. The retailer also opened an Adidas store, an Apple shop and Hublot, the Swiss luxury watchmaking house, which officially launched its first travel retail boutique in the region.
These openings helped QDF achieve strong revenue as compared to 2019, with an increased spend per passenger of 70%.
Meanwhile, HIA’s expansion continues. Currently in Phase A, the expansion is set to increase HIA’s capacity to more than 58 million passengers annually by 2022 in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. Phase B will then increase HIA’s capacity to more than 60 million passengers.
Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA, said, “While the global aviation industry witnessed another tumultuous year, HIA prevailed and continued to set new benchmarks and achievements, a reflection of the airport’s dedication to ensuring passenger and staff well-being. Qatar’s airport maintained stringent safety procedures to ensure a worry-free passenger experience, formed new partnerships to further HIA’s vision for sustainability and technological innovations, and expanded its lifestyle offerings for its passengers.
“As the Official Airport Partner of the fast-approaching FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, HIA is looking forward to creating new passenger experiences at the airport, while keeping their safety and well-being at the core of our operations. Qatar’s airport realises the importance of the World Cup for incoming fans – many of whom fly across the world to witness the event. We are delighted to welcome them with the unparalleled experience they deserve”.
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