Hamad International Airport (HIA) now ranked as the ‘Third Best Airport in the World’ from among 550 airports worldwide by the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2020.

Rising from fourth position in 2019 to third in 2020, HIA has been steadily rising in the World’s Best Airports rankings since the start of its operations in 2014.

HIA Skytrax Awards 2020

According to HIA CEO Engineer Badr Mohammed Al Meer, they are moving up the ranks every year, which is particularly rewarding, as the honour comes directly from passengers who shared their experiences travelling through the airport and through the SKYTRAX surveys.

Despite all the challenges that the aviation sector faces today, Al Meer said they remain committed to help travellers reach their home countries safely.

Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said that HIA continues to achieve a top position as a leading, global hub airport. He added that the staff and management of the airport should be delighted by this recognition from customers, which he said is a fabulous achievement this 2020.

HIA has also been voted the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the sixth year in a row and the ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row. HIA has also retained its five-star airport classification since 2017. These achievements are a result of the hard work and determination demonstrated by the airport staff. In 2019, the airport served a record 38,786,422 passengers, the most number of passengers since 2014.

Building up the Local Talent

HIA invests in upgrading the skills of people and in building the local talent. It recently launched ENJAZ, the national talent development programme created to grow, nurture and build up the local human resources.

The programme focuses on training and developing nationals in order to meet their role requirements in various departments of the airport to enhance job performance and build expertise. The programme is implemented in cooperation with various aviation associations, and with prestigious local and international educational institutions, who provide expanded development plans for national cadres.

Unprecedented Challenges

As the world faces unprecedented challenges due to the spread of coronavirus, Al Meer assured that the crisis will be overcome through cooperation by all concerned parties, working together for the safety and security of everyone.

Our award for ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ and ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ will reinforce our resolve to continue our operations in these difficult times with our utmost care to implement all measures to ensure the health and safety of our passengers and employees first.

HIA recently announced a 4.7% increase in cargo operations in the first quarter of this year, primarily attributed to the continued efforts of Qatar Airways and HIA to provide freighter services in response to the increased demand for essential goods and medical supplies, locally and internationally. This includes transportation of urgent medical relief aid and humanitarian assistance, which is pivotal to the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

HIA Qatar

The World Airport Awards are the most coveted quality accolades for the airport industry, often referred to as the Oscars of the aviation industry and are a global benchmark of airport excellence. Travellers across the globe take part each year in the world’s largest airport passenger satisfaction survey to decide the winners. Skytrax Survey and Awards Methodology is fully transparent, and the processes remain 100% independent with no payment by any airport or other outside organisation for any aspect of the customer survey or awards presentation event.

For updates and more information about HIA, visit dohahamadairport.com