Saturday, August 7, 2021
Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) has been awarded the ‘Best Airport in the World” title at the renowned Skytrax World Airport Awards 2021. Since its inauguration in 2014, Qatar’s airport has consistently risen in ranks amongst 550 global airports, and in 2021, has climbed from third position to lead the global ‘World’s Best Airports’ ranking. HIA has also been named the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the seventh consecutive year and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the sixth year in a row.
This year’s Skytrax World’s Best Airports award commemorated the efforts of global airports in adapting and meeting the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, as travel hubs worldwide were impacted by the pandemic, HIA innovated its airport experience to remain open throughout the global health crisis. Owing to its pre-existing business continuity plans, crisis preparedness exercises, and health and safety protocols, HIA was undeterred by global travel disruptions, continuing apace with its expansion while introducing additional airport health and safety solutions, in accordance with international standards, to offer uninterrupted connectivity to passengers and deliver essential goods around the world.
Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, said: “It is with great pride that we announce that Qatar’s Hamad International Airport has been named the world`s best airport at the Skytrax 2021 World Airport Awards. This is not only a truly remarkable achievement for HIA and the State of Qatar, but an endorsement from our travellers for our commitment to service excellence. HIA continues to serve as a global benchmark for airports around the world, thanks to the dedication and collaboration of our team and stakeholders. To this day, HIA’s crisis preparedness, business continuity strategy, and agile and effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be recognised by leading industry institutions. As we look towards the future, HIA remains devoted to boosting our efforts in providing the best airport experience to all our passengers.”
Edward Plaisted, Chief Executive Officer of Skytrax said: “We are delighted to announce that Hamad International Airport has been voted the World’s Best Airport 2021. Inaugurated in 2014, Hamad International Airport has rapidly become a customer favourite and moved from No 3 in the world in 2020 to be ranked World’s Best Airport this year. Achieving this honour is very much a team effort, and our congratulations go to the Management, staff and stakeholders at Hamad International Airport that help make this happen. As travel hubs worldwide have been impacted by the pandemic, Hamad International Airport was undeterred by the global travel disruptions and continued with its expansion plans while introducing additional airport health and safety standards. As the Official Airport Partner for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 we wish Hamad International Airport every success in helping to host such a major event.”
Qatar’s airport understood the magnitude of the global health crisis, and accommodated changing traveller needs for increased sanitisation measures and contactless services by implementing advanced technological solutions. One of the first COVID-19-related measures HIA implemented were vending machines that provide disposable and reusable personal protective equipment (PPE), including face masks and hand sanitisers for passengers. Foreseeing the long-term need for wearing masks, HIA secured its airport experience with its homegrown automated facial detection system that utilises computer vision and artificial intelligence to ensure the wearing of masks for all its staff.
Furthermore, HIA was one of the first airports in the world to introduce thermal screening through its Smart Screening Helmets that enable contactless temperature measurement for both staff and passengers and deployed autonomous disinfectant robots that emit concentrated UV light in high passenger flow areas to protect the airport environment. HIA’s passenger experience is also safeguarded with UVC disinfection tunnels that decontaminate inbound luggage from arriving passengers, as well as security screening technology which allows passengers to proceed through security checkpoints without removing electronic devices or liquids from their baggage. These solutions are born out of collaborative efforts of Qatar’s airport and its industry partners, who have consistently come together to create a safer airport experience at HIA.
Additionally, as part of its agile response to the pandemic, the airport retrofitted its existing services with touchless capabilities at key passenger touchpoints such as self-check-in, self-bag-drop and terminal elevators.
HIA’s growth during the pandemic has been lauded by industry leaders and have solidified HIA’s position as a benchmark for airports around the world. In 2020, Qatar’s airport was the first airport in the Middle East to receive the ISO 22301:2012 Business Continuity Management System Certification by British Standards Institution (BSI), demonstrating the resilience of HIA’s operations in the face of disruptions such as the pandemic. In the same year, BSI also certified HIA as the first entity in the world to implement International Civil Aviation Organisation Civil Aviation Recovery Taskforce’s (ICAO CART) COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocols. This year, HIA received its re-verification by BSI for its continued compliance with the safety and hygiene measures outlined by ICAO CART.
Qatar’s airport was also the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to achieve a 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating by Skytrax in 2020. The audit assessed the effectiveness of HIA’s COVID-19 policies and measures in providing a safe environment for all and recognised the airport’s commitment to operational excellence and passenger well-being.
HIA entered the top ten global airport ranks in terms of its international passenger traffic, as Qatar’s airport remained operational throughout the pandemic, rising from the 16th position in 2019 to the 6th position in 2020.
As the world emerges out of the pandemic and looks towards the future, HIA is ready to create memorable experiences for football fans across the globe as the Official Airport Partner for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. The airport will host extraordinary fan activations across its terminal and ensure seamless connectivity within HIA. As the country is preparing to welcome thousands of visitors during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, HIA is expanding, with its first phase aiming to boost its capacity to accommodate 58 million passengers per year by FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. The second phase will commence post-FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, and will serve 60 million passengers annually.
By staying open during the toughest months of the pandemic and serving global passengers and airlines, adopting new procedures and innovative solutions, while simultaneously looking towards the future, HIA has been an example to other airports around the world.
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