Doha International airport is preparing to open a new arrivals terminal to cope with passenger demand until the New Doha International airport opens in 2012.
Once open, all passengers arriving into Doha will go through the new Doha Arrivals terminal, while the existing Main terminal will be used only for departing and transfering passengers.
The new terminal could open within weeks, but an actual launch date has not yet been announced.
Doha Arrivals will feature more baggage belts and immigration counters than the current arrivals area, as well as duty free shopping and a bigger meet and greet waiting area.
It will be a separate stand-alone facility, on the site of the temporary terminal that was built for the Doha Asian Games in 2006.
Once open, work will start on reconfiguring the existing arrivals area in the main terminal, which will be renamed the departure and transfer terminal – this will take several months.
Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways Group, which manages and operates Doha International airport, said the new terminal has been designed to improve the arrival experience for passengers.
“It was imperative for the continued development of Qatar that the existing airport infrastructure was expanded,” he said.
“The new Doha Arrivals terminal is the latest step in the infrastructure improvements to handle the influx of passengers through the airport.”
Doha International airport, Qatar Airways' hub, has virtually doubled in size over the past three years, currently handling more than 15 million passengers a year.
Al Baker added: “We are eagerly awaiting the opening of the New Doha International Airport in 2012, which will provide an even better facility.”