The soft opening of Doha’s new Hamad International Airport, which had been scheduled for April 1, has been delayed because building occupancy permits have not obtained from the Qatari Civil Defense Department, according to Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker.
Al Baker described the delay as “a slight glitch” at a press conference in Chicago. He added that the Bechtel Corporation, the project manager on the new airport, was to blame for the postponement.
“This unfortunately is thanks to Bechtel who is responsible for the project management of the airport and who have failed to comply with the Qatar Civil Defense building code and safety requirements,” said Al Baker.
Bechtel said in a statement: “We continue to work tirelessly with our customer, contractors, and the relevant agencies toward a successful opening of this world class airport. As with every project, we are fully committed to helping our customers achieve their goals.”
The facility was originally due to open in December 2012, but that date was pushed back to the beginning of April when flights from low-cost carriers would have started operations.
Al Baker did not announce a new date for the airport’s opening, but expressed confidence that it would be operational “by the end of the year.”
dohaairport.com