With the first week of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 complete, the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) has reported that over 7,000 flights have operated to and from Doha in week one. Now into its second week, the total number of flights is sitting at 12,963 and counting for the tournament duration. This is a significant increase compared with its usual operations. As many may be aware, shuttle flights have been operating from neighboring Arab countries to alleviate the strain on the limited hotel accommodation in the Qatari capital. Nearby cities, such as Dubai, are receiving shuttle flights almost hourly. With the QCAA commenting:
With the start of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, air traffic at both Hamad International Airport and Doha International Airport witnessed a significant increase.”
The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority has advised that multiple international airlines have also increased scheduled and charter operations in the wake of the World Cup. Airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France, Finnair, and KLM are boosting services to Doha. Additional flights from South America and Africa have also operated charter flights for fans, increasing operations to and from the Doha hub.
On December 1st, more than 900 flights were recorded to and from the two Doha airports. According to the Ministry of Transport, 764,118 traveled by the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram that same day.
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Doha International Airport has been reborn for the World Cup.
In addition to the Qatar Airways hub of Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH), the nation has revitalized Doha International Airport (DIA) for the duration of the tournament, with flights operating as below until the end of December:
- Air Arabia to Sharjah
- Air Cairo to Sohag
- Badr Airlines to Khartoum
- Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa
- Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi
- Flydubai to Dubai International
- Himalaya Airlines to Kathmandu
- Jazeera Airways to Kuwait City
- Nepal Airlines to Kathmandu
- Pakistan International Airlines to Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar
- Pegasus Airlines to Istanbul–Sabiha Gokcen
- Salam Air to Muscat
- Tarco Aviation to Khartoum
- Kuwait Airways to Kuwait City
- Saudia to Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah
More visitors to Doha than ever before
Fans have relished their visits to the Qatari capital, with supporters crowding the souks in their native colors. Paul Williams, who traveled to support Wales, commented: "Going down to the souk, you see all the people walking around from 32 different nationalities. It's been absolutely fantastic."
Other travelers have commented on how they 'feel safe' at this World Cup, compared to other football events, "We've not been worried about crime such as pickpockets, and the relative lack of alcohol means I'm also not worried about my parents who are in their seventies," commented Benjamin Lim, 42, a lawyer from London.
More flights from their home countries are scheduled as teams progress through the tournament, such as Royal Air Maroc scheduling extra flights to ferry fans to watch their teams battle it out.
Sources: The Peninsular Qatar, Doha Directory, Aviancionline, Vanguard