Statistics from the General Authority of Civil Aviation showed that aircraft movement at Hamad International Airport increased by 7 percent year-on-year during July, compared to the same month in 2023, while the number of passengers also increased by 10 percent.
The authority stated, in a post on its official social media accounts about air transport statistics during July 2024, that aircraft movements increased to 24,179 air movements compared to 22,598 air movements in July of last year, adding that the number of passengers also recorded an increase to reach four million and 742 thousand passengers, compared to four million and 305 thousand passengers, an increase of 10% on an annual basis.
The authority also indicated that the movement of freight and mail increased by 13.9 percent last July, recording 222,415 tons, compared to 195,244 tons in July 2023.
The launch of the medium-range radar at Hamad International Airport and the long-range radar in northern Qatar, in addition to the Doha Aviation Region, contributed to enhancing and keeping pace with the operations of the General Civil Aviation Authority in the development of the international civil aviation system, in line with the latest technologies in the world of devices and equipment.
The Authority also continues the process of developing the Qatari airspace, as the achievements made are a stage within the plan to develop air transport and operational processes of Hamad International Airport and Qatar Airways in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
In this context, the Air Navigation Department of the General Civil Aviation Authority recently completed the phase related to managing the Doha Flight Information Region in the control tower building and equipping the Qatar Air Traffic Control Center in preparation for activating the second phase of air traffic management over international waters. This included equipping the radar control operations room, which includes the latest technologies and advanced devices, represented by radar control screens, communication systems, and important navigation information display devices, in order to display accurate data on air traffic in the Doha Flight Information Region and ensure effective communication between air traffic controllers and aircraft crossing the airspace.
This is in addition to intensive and continuous training of air traffic controllers through advanced simulation programs to ensure their readiness to deal with all different weather scenarios and operational challenges in the Doha region, including emergency situations, in addition to providing and qualifying additional numbers of qualified cadres of air traffic controllers and technicians to meet the requirements of the second phase.
It is worth noting that Hamad International Airport, the best airport in the world this year, is able to accommodate the high air traffic in conjunction with the summer vacation season and holidays efficiently and easily, especially after the recent expansion that increased its capacity to about 60 million passengers. More than 50 international airlines currently manage their operations from the airport, which has the capacity to accommodate more than 100 air movements per hour.
