São Paulo – The Doha International Airport, in Qatar, handled 23.2 million passengers in 2013, up 9.63% from 2012. According to information released this Wednesday (5th) by the airport’s management, cargo handling and aircraft traffic increased as well.
Passenger traffic increased in all months of 2013. In August alone, which saw the highest increase, nearly 2.2 million passengers boarded or alighted flights at the Doha airport, up 19.9% from August 2012. Other months in which passenger traffic increased sharply were October (15.2%), September (11%), June (10.7%) and December (10.2%).
In a press release, the airport ascribed the growth to Doha’s importance as an international hub, i.e. a connection centre. The government of Qatar is expecting even more passengers in the next few years, due to the pending inauguration of the Hamad International Airport, due in 2014. The new terminal will have capacity to handle 50 million passengers and 2 million tonnes of cargo per year.
A total of 866,100 tonnes of cargo were handled at the airport in Doha, up 11.9% from 2012’s 826,600 tonnes.
Last year, 168,800 landings and take-offs took place at the airport, up 8.44% from 2012.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
