Autumn 2024. Ten years after my first trip to Seoul in 2014, I am returning to the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea. Not solo this time, but with Oriol, who has never been to Korea. On the itinerary: flying with Qatar Airways to Incheon via Doha, the capital Seoul, the historic city of Gyeongju, Busan, Jeju Island and a second stint in Seoul, where we are joined by Sehyeon. We’re spending two weeks in South Korea. The ROK is such a popular destination now. Will we experience overtourism?
Okay, so as Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar wants to showcase its wealth and skills with top notch airliners, it needs an airport matching these ambitions. Hence the Hamad International Airport (DOH).
Hamad International Airport (DOH) is Qatar’s main airport, serving as the home base for the national airline, Qatar Airways. Located just east of Qatari capital Doha, it replaced the old Doha International Airport (DIA) in 2014.
Formerly known as the New Doha International Airport, construction began in 2002 but faced significant delays. The airport finally opened in 2014, six years behind schedule. Qatar Airways was the first airline to operate from Hamad International Airport, with a ceremonial flight from the old airport. All other airlines followed suit shortly after.
The airport is named after Qatar’s former Emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Genesis
Doha International Airport was over 70 years old by the late 20th century and needed significant upgrades. Due to limited land availability, expanding DIA, especially adding a second runway, was challenging.
In 2003, planning began for a new, modern airport. Construction started in 2005 on a site 5 kilometers east of the old airport. The new airport covers 3,600 hectares and was initially designed to serve airlines without lounge access.
Hamad International Airport was built to accommodate increasing passenger traffic. With an initial capacity of 29 million passengers annually, it was three times larger than the old airport. When fully completed, it could handle 93 million passengers per year, making it the second-largest airport in the region after Dubai. The airport was also designed to handle 320,000 aircraft movements and 2 million tons of cargo annually.
The check-in and retail areas were planned to be 12 times larger than those at the old airport. The airport itself would be two-thirds the size of Doha city. It features an oasis theme, with water-inspired architecture and desert plants growing in recycled water.
Engineering company Bechtel from the United States was awarded the contract for the airport’s development, overseeing design, construction management, and project management. The American architecture firm HOK designed the terminal and concourses. TAV Construction from Turkey and Taisei Corporation from Japan undertook the engineering, procurement, and construction contracts for Phases I and II.
2014
Hamad International Airport began cargo operations in December 2013 with an inaugural flight by Qatar Airways Cargo. However, the planned soft launch in April 2013 was canceled due to safety concerns that took nine months to address.
Passenger operations finally began in April 2014 with ten airlines. Qatar Airways and other airlines moved to Hamad Airport in May 2014.
An expansion plan announced in 2015 included extending the check-in area, expanding concourses D and E, and adding a new passenger amenity area. As part of this plan, the Doha Metro was extended to the airport in 2019.
In 2016, the airport was ranked the 50th busiest airport in the world, serving 37.3 million passengers. In 2019, passenger traffic increased by 12.4% to 38.8 million.
Facilities
Terminal 1 consists of three concourses: A, B, and C.
Concourse A, located west of the check-in area, has 10 passenger gates connected to jet bridges, including two for the Airbus A380.
Concourse B, located east of the check-in area, also has 10 passenger gates with jet bridges, including two for the Airbus A380. It opened in 2014, and features a coffee shop, smoking rooms, family areas, and an express duty-free store.
Concourse C, the largest, has 24 passenger gates with jet bridges, including two for the Airbus A380, and 44 remote gates. It opened in 2014 and incorporated gates from the former Concourses D and E in 2021.
The airport’s First and Business Class lounges, Al Safwa and Al Mourjan, opened in 2014. Since 2016, a cable-drawn Cable Liner has connected Halls A and B with Halls D and E, providing indoor transportation.
Lamp Bear
Officially untitled, ‘Lamp Bear‘ is is a prominent bronze statue of a teddy bear with its head in a lamp. Created by Swiss artist Urs Fischer, it stands seven meters tall and weighs 18-20 tons. The sculpture, previously displayed in New York City, was purchased by a member of the Qatari royal family and placed in the grand foyer of the airport’s duty-free shopping hall.
In 2018, the airport added another sculpture, ‘Small Lie‘ by American artist Kaws, which was donated by Qatar Museums.
Expansion
Hamad International Airport has been expanding to accommodate increased passenger traffic, driven by the FIFA 2022 World Cup and Qatar Airways’ growth.
In 2023, a new central building opened between Concourses D and E, featuring a 10,000 m2 tropical garden with a 268-meter tall water feature. This section is called The Orchard.
This expansion added 11,720 m2 of retail and food space, an expanded transfer area, and a new Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge. Concourses D and E will also be lengthened to accommodate more aircraft.
Runways
The airport has two parallel runways, located 2 km (1.2 mi) from each other, which are designed for simultaneous take-offs and landings. The first is 4,850 m × 60 m (15,910 ft × 200 ft) and is considered to be the longest runway in Western Asia, and also one of the longest runways in the world.
The second runway is 4,250 m × 60 m (13,940 ft × 200 ft).
Two visits
Wanting to show off can mean extra efforts are made to awe people and Hamad International Airport is impressive indeed. ‘Lamp Bear’ is very prominent and an eye-catcher.
The Orchard is a fun place to spend some time. Finding it takes some time, which in an airport is good news. During layovers, it can happen you have time to kill. You can definitely get a couple of thousands steps at DOH.
The Orchard is popular to rest. We saw people lying down.
Shops and catering options seem open 24/7. As its neighbouring countries, Qatar imports relatively cheap labour from Africa and Asia. So there’s personnel aplenty.
And there is. It looks like every square metre is attended. Every toilet is constantly attended. So no hanky-panky. Not that I would recommend doing that.
Hamad International Airport is big and efficient. Boarding happens in two steps. You get checked and then you’re put in a waiting room, where seats are assigned to the boarding zones, making actual boarding very swift.
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