DOHA, Qatar, Aug. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Qatar's Hamad International Airport (HIA) has been awarded the "Best Airport in the World" title at the renowned Skytrax World Airport Awards 2021, climbing from third position to lead the global ranking. HIA has also been awarded "Best Airport in the Middle East", "Best Airport 25 to 35 million Passengers", "Best Airport Staff in the Middle East", and "COVID-19 Airport Excellence".
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. 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 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."
HIA 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. The airport retrofitted its existing services with touchless capabilities at key passenger touchpoints such as self-check-in, self-bag-drop and terminal elevators. It implemented its home-grown automated facial detection system to ensure the wearing of masks for all its staff. HIA uses its Smart Screening Helmets for contactless temperature measurement and autonomous disinfectant robots that emitting concentrated UV light in high passenger flow areas to protect the airport environment.
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.
As Qatar is preparing to welcome thousands of visitors during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, HIA, the Official Airport Partner for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, is ready to create memorable experiences for football fans across the globe. The airport will host extraordinary fan activations across its terminal and ensure seamless connectivity through the airport. HIA's expansion, with its first phase aiming to boost its capacity to accommodate 58 million passengers annually by the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The second phase will commence post-FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and will serve 60 million passengers annually.
For more information, visit HIA's website www.dohahamadairport.com and follow the airport's latest news on HIA's social media channels: https://twitter.com/HIAQatar, www.facebook.com/HIAQatar and https://www.instagram.com/HIAQatar/
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