MATAR, the company for Airports Operation and Management, announced the commencement of multi-phased expansion project plans at Hamad International Airport (HIA), including the awarding of projects to contracting companies and multiple joint ventures.  

The five contracting companies and joint ventures awarded the HIA expansion projects include Midmac Contracting, TAV Tepe Akfen Investment Construction and Taisei Corporation (MTT); Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) and Teyseer Contracting Company (TCC); Urbacon Trading & Contracting, Bahadir Construction and Tedeschia Construction Enterprises (UBT); and Beumer Doha WLL and Al Jaber Engineering Company WLL.

The Western Taxiway and Stand Development Works contract – Package-0012, was awarded in October 2019 to the UBT joint venture. This infrastructure and utility focused expansion project will increase the operational capacity of HIA and add 39 additional aircraft stands. Works for this contract started in Q4 2019.

The Passenger Terminal Expansion Works, Central Concourse Building and Early Works (PTEW) was awarded to the joint venture of Midmac Contracting, TAV Tepe Akfen Investment Construction and Taisei Corporation. The contract – Package-0013 – was awarded in November 2019 and commenced shortly after.

HIA Expansion

The project will include an additional 140,000 sqm terminal building – located airside – adjoining the existing terminal building through Concourse C with an axis that will culminate into a central garden. It will also include a new transfer area which will help shorten connection time and will improve overall transfer experience at HIA. This will also contribute to servicing the continued growth of the national carrier Qatar Airways.

The Remote Transfer Baggage Facility Handling Systems (RTBF) and Building projects were also awarded in November 2019 and February 2020, respectively. This project is divided into two packages, Package-0014 and Package-0015. The first contract was awarded to Al Jaber Engineering Company WLL and will commence this month; while the second contract was awarded to Beumer Doha WLL. Works for this package started in November 2019.

The construction of the Remote Transfer Baggage Facility Handling Systems comprises of an airside facility of approximately 34,000 sqm to house the new state-of-the-art baggage handling system. The new baggage facility will allow the capacity of the baggage handling system to grow while ensuring minimal disruption to the existing airport operations during the construction phase, which is to be carried out landside and converted to airside upon completion.

The Baggage Handling System will be equipped with best-in-class high capacity tote-based Individual Carrier System (TOTE/ICS) that provides fast, safe and flexible baggage handling from check-in to discharge with 100% accurate track and trace of baggage at every stage of the handling process. The Hold Baggage Screening System and equipment to be installed in the RTBF will be in compliance with the latest European Civil Aviation Committee (ECAC) Standard 3 requirements.

HIA Expansion

Western Fuel Farm and Midfield Fuel Farm Expansion Works contract, Package-0017, was awarded in November 2019 to the joint venture of Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) and Teyseer Contracting Company (TCC). The project, which is divided into two packages – Midfield Fuel Farm Expansion and Western Fuel Farm – will fulfil the need of developing supporting facilities for the growing needs of HIA operations. Work for both packages commenced in December 2019.

The five-star airport is undertaking expansion to meet the growing demand for air travel, enhance its position as the preferred gateway for travel and transit, and to accommodate the growth of the national carrier, Qatar Airways.

The HIA expansion plans, which were previously revealed in the fourth quarter of 2019 will be carried out in two phases, A and B. Phase A will include linking the North Node to the new Central Concourse. This phase of the airport’s expansion is set to increase the terminal’s handling capacity to more than 53 million passengers annually by 2022, as Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

Phase B of the expansion plan will further enhance the airport’s capacity to more than 60 million passengers annually to cater to the ever-growing demand in passenger and cargo traffic.

The expanded terminal area will span across a total of 240,000 sqm once completed and will be integrated with the existing terminal, allowing passengers to seamlessly transfer from one area to the other, enabling HIA to continue to operate with a single expansive terminal. Furthermore, the expansion works will not affect operations of the existing terminal and passengers’ connection times will be maintained.

HIA’s expansion will also entail the construction of a new cargo terminal which will increase the capacity handled up to five million tonnes per year.

Upon completion, the terminal expansion will be the first in the MENA region to achieve a four-star GSAS rating and will also achieve LEED Silver by including innovative measures of energy efficiency across the entire building, staying true to its commitment to improve environmental performance and effectively address climate change.

Championing economic diversification and growth, HIA expansion will create highly skilled job opportunities in Qatar, boosting the country towards the attainment of its national vision. This fast-paced sustainable growth has helped HIA become the ‘Fourth-Best Airport in the World’ by Skytrax World Airport Awards after only five years of operations.