New Doha International Airport opening delayed to late-2013

Sunday, 02 September 2012 10:44

The New Doha International Airport (NDIA), which was initially scheduled to open in December 2012, will now open in the second half of 2013, according to Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker

Baker told the Moodie Report that the original scheduled opening date of December 12 has been delayed due to the airport operator deciding to part company with a key contractor.

He added that some facilities at the NDIA, however, would open around the end of this year, including cargo, the VIP terminal and the maintenance base for Qatar Airways. The operational readiness programme - the ORAT  (Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer) - has already begun.

"We want a world-class facility," Baker said. "We will not compromise on quality. We will not compromise on standards. I think when you put everything together, there will be no other airport of such a high standard... including the high level of finishing and the high quality of materials that have been used."