Hamad International Airport (HIA) is once again a candidate for SKYTRAX’s World’s Best Airport Award.

The airport aspires to maintain its leading position among global airports, encouraging passengers to participate in the customer satisfaction survey by SKYTRAX.

The award is one of the most distinguished honours in the airport industry, and regarded as a benchmark of quality, assessing customer service and facilities across more than 550 airports.

Over the past few years, HIA has moved up the SKYTRAX World’s Best Airport rankings, jumping to the third position in 2020. This is a testament to their visionary and innovative approach and implementation of passenger-empowering technologies and multi-dimensional lifestyle offering.

COVID-19 and the aviation industry

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the aviation industry, passenger traffic, air cargo demand and much more. In response to these unprecedented challenges, Qatar’s award-winning airport implemented stringent health and safety measures, acquired the latest technologies to optimise operations, while prioritising passenger and staff well-being.

UV robot

The comprehensive measures allowed HIA to keep its doors open throughout the worst months of the pandemic, ensuring families across the globe were reunited, and essential goods were delivered.

HIA transformed the airport experience by introducing advanced technological solutions such as fully autonomous disinfectant robots, thermal smart screening helmets, and ultraviolet baggage disinfection tunnels. To safeguard the well-being of travellers and airport staff, HIA also introduced contact-free self-check-in and transfer security screening, allowing passengers to move through key touchpoints with minimal physical contact.

According to HIA Chief Operating Officer Engineer Badr Mohammed Al Meer, the various safety measures that HIA has put in place to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is a marked achievement not only for the airport but for the country as well.

He said that HIA has become a beacon of resilience, its agile and effective approach helped ensure innovative solutions were quickly applied to adapt to the new normal.

We, at HIA, are committed to maintaining our operational excellence and being a safe choice for passengers during this difficult time.

Engineer Al Meer added that with their pre-existing business continuity plan in place, HIA has optimised their airport operations without compromising passenger and staff well-being and ensuring operational excellence. Their response to the pandemic was recognised by world-leading organisations such as SKYTRAX and British Standards Institution (BSI), putting the airport as a prominent example to airports around the world.

HIA is increasingly being recognised for its five-star passenger experience and operational excellence, affirming its role as a gateway and making Qatar a preferred destination for travellers.

HIA is the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to receive a Five-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating by SKYTRAX, the first entity in the world to achieve independent certification from BSI for its COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocols, and the first airport in the Middle East to receive the ISO 22301:2012 Business Continuity Management System Certification by BSI.

The airport is currently undertaking an expansion project to strengthen Qatar’s position as a global hub and cater to Qatar’s thriving economic diversification and growth resulting from the success of its national carrier, Qatar Airways.

To vote for HIA, visit the official SKYTRAX Awards website or the HIA website


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