Doha: Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH), the main hub for Qatar Airways, has expanded with the addition of the new Concourse D just in time for the busy travel season. This comes a month after Concourse E was opened as part of its latest terminal expansion programme.

According to airport officials, the expansion was completed ahead of schedule and has boosted annual passenger capacity to more than 65 million. It increases the terminal’s size by 14 per cent to 842,000 square meters and adds 17 new aircraft contact gates, bringing the total to 62—a nearly 40 per cent boost. Concourse D welcomed its first airline Thursday morning.

Qatar Airways Group CEO Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said the expansion enhances connectivity, streamlines operations, and significantly reduces bus transfers.

He explained, “While many global airport expansions have faced delays, we are proud to have delivered this major development ahead of schedule.”

Al Meer said, “This is not just about increasing capacity—it is about strengthening the entire Qatar Airways network and enhancing operational resilience.”

Before the expansion, DOH had an annual passenger capacity of 58 million. The award-winning airport served 52.7 million passengers in 2024 - a 15 per cent increase compared to 2023. In 2022, when Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup, the hub and the airline handled a combined 3.5+ million passengers in November and December 2022. HIA alone recorded around 2.6 million passengers in December 2022, marking one of its busiest periods ever.

Given fast-growing growth in passenger numbers, the airport expansion was the need of the hour. “But this expansion is not the end of our journey. We remain committed to future developments that will further establish Hamad International Airport as a leading global aviation hub,” stated Al-Meer.

Peter Daley, Senior Project Director at Hamad International Airport, told Gulf News that despite operational challenges, there is potential for further expansion.

“One of the difficult things within an operational airport is dealing with expansion. A greenfield site is always much easier. So, it is more difficult to expand within a live operations airport, but there is still scope for expansion, and there will be more, which the COO and GCEO will announce at the appropriate time,” said Daley.

Six tower cranes were in operation, and 5,000 workers had to be brought into the airport for construction work every day.

The opening of Concourses D and E marks the final phase of Hamad International Airport’s broader expansion.

Hamad International Airport COO Hamad Al Khater also said that the new concourses have been integrated into the existing terminal and feature advanced technology, including self-boarding gates, to improve passenger flow.

Al Khater said, “The opening of Concourses D and E marks a significant milestone in expanding our capacity and enhancing operational efficiency. This combined development streamlines passenger flow optimizes resource management, and strengthens airline connectivity, ensuring smoother and more efficient passenger services.”