Doha: Qatar will have a world class aviation hub catering to 24 million passengers per year when a new airport opens in 2010, officials said.

Abdul Aziz Mohammad Al Nuami, chairman of Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority, presented the $9 billion project at the Airport Expansion Mideast Congress, a two-day event that concluded here yesterday.

Al Nuami, who is also the chairman of the New Doha International Airport's steering committee, said the airport is set to become a regional transfer hub competing with other major international airports of the Middle East and Asia regions.

"The core business of the airport would be the transfer of passengers... we will definitely reach the 24 million-passenger mark in 2010," he said.

Designed and built by construction giant Bechtel, the airport will be on the so-called midfield model, featuring two runaways with the supporting facilities in the middle.

It is based on the model of Hong Kong airport designed by renowned architect Norman Foster and is considered one of the most successful in terms of airplane distribution, circulation and remote parking, Qatari officials said.

The hub will have a runway of 4.2 kilometres and a second one with a 4.8 km length, one of the longest in the world designed to accommodate the A380.

Built over 22 square kilometres, half of which is reclaimed land, the airport will feature some 40 contact gates, 22 remote gates, 62 parking positions, a cargo facility with a capacity of 750,000 tonnes of cargo per year, a cargo aircraft maintenance centre, and maintenance centres capable of hosting aircraft the size of the A380.

The airport will also feature a 100-room hotel, a catering facility capable of providing 75,000 meals a day, ground service equipment facilities, an 80-metre high air traffic control tower, a village with administration facilities and mosque.

A separate Emiri terminal for the ruling family, VIPs and heads of state and an Emiri hangar are also under construction.

An additional expansion phase, planned between 2020 and 2025, envisages an ultimate airport capacity of 48 million passengers and 80 contact gates.

Features: Midfield model

  • Designed and built by construction giant Bechtel, the New Doha International Airport will be on the so-called midfield model, featuring two runaways with the supporting facilities in the middle.
  • The hub will have two runaways of 4.2 and 4.8 kilometres length.
  • The airport will feature some 40 contact gates, 22 remote gates, 62 parking positions, a cargo facility with a capacity of 750,000 tonnes of cargo movement per year, a cargo aircraft maintenance centre, and maintenance centres capable of hosting aircrafts of the size of the A380.