Doha International Airport (IATA: DOH, ICAO: OTBD) (Arabic: مطار الدوحة الدولي) is the only commercial airport in Qatar. It features 60 check-in gates, 42 parking bays for aircraft and 8 baggage claim belts.
The airport suffers from overutilization even though the airport has been expanded numerous times. The current capacity stands at 12 million passengers per year. Its 15,600 ft (4,800 m) runway is one of the longest at a civil airport. It is the main base of Qatar Airways. In the past, the airport was mostly used by Qatari holiday makers and foreign workers coming for the oil and gas sector. Now the airport is attracting more people such as holiday makers and transit travellers. It is also growing as Qatar Airways is expanding more rapidly. As of 2010, it was the world's 27th busiest airport by cargo traffic. The control tower and ancillary buildings were designed by Curtis W. Fentress, FAIA, RIBA of Fentress Architects.
The existing airport will be replaced in mid-2013 when the first phase of New Doha International Airport is expected to open. The new airport is located 4 km from the current facility. It covers 5760 acres (approx. 2200 hectares) of land and will be able to handle 15 million passengers per year after the first phase of construction is completed.
Read more about Doha International Airport: Statistics, Accidents and Incidents
Famous quotes containing the word airport:
“Airplanes are invariably scheduled to depart at such times as 7:54, 9:21 or 11:37. This extreme specificity has the effect on the novice of instilling in him the twin beliefs that he will be arriving at 10:08, 1:43 or 4:22, and that he should get to the airport on time. These beliefs are not only erroneous but actually unhealthy.”
—Fran Lebowitz (b. 1950)