HIA, Qatar Airways expect 4 million passengers across 170 destinations

Doha, Qatar - Hamad International Airport (HIA) and Qatar Airways have unveiled plans for a busy winter season, expecting around 4 million passengers to pass through their global network and hub. The airline, which operates over 170 destinations worldwide, has nearly reached 90-95% of passenger numbers from previous years despite challenges faced in early 2026.

Group CEO Hamad Ali Al-Khater noted that load factors on their aircraft are high and that they have expanded their destinations from 60 to 160. Qatar Airways operates more than 510 daily flights using a diverse fleet of 239 passenger aircraft. The airline anticipates receiving new aircraft, including the Airbus A350-1000 and the Boeing 777-9, as well as the Qsuite Next Gen, starting next summer.

Hamad International Airport, with a capacity to handle over 65 million passengers annually, features 138 check-in counters, 62 contact gates, and an indoor tropical garden called The Orchard. The airport has already seen more than 140,000 passengers per day on average. Ground services have handled 9.4 million departing passenger journeys in the first seven months of 2026, with 319,000 passengers using self-service check-in kiosks and 74,000 using self-service bag drops.