The 'soft' opening of Doha’s new international airport has been postponed with a new date yet to be revealed.
The Hamad International facility was due to receive its first flight on Monday but this had to be cancelled at the last minute.
The airport said in a statement on its website: "The soft opening of Hamad International Airport scheduled for April 1, 2013, was postponed following an announcement by Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA). A future date will be communicated by QCAA."
It is the second delay for the new airport – it had been due to open on December 12 last year, but problems with a contractor fitting the premium lounges led to a five-month delay.
Ten airlines were scheduled to begin 'soft operations' at the new airport from April 1. These included Air Arabia, Air India Express, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Flydubai, Iran Air, Nepal Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines.
Qatar Airways, the main user of the airport, is due to switch its entire operation to Hamad International by the end of 2013.
dohaairport.com