Airline passengers exiting Qatar, including transfer passengers connecting within 24 hours, will soon pay a QR35 ($10) ‘passenger facility charge,’ Hamad International Airport (HIA) announced.

In a media advisory, HIA said the charge will be applicable for tickets issued from August 30 onwards for travel from December 1 this year.

This charge exempts infants under the age of two without a seat, and transit passengers that do not require an aircraft change and involuntary rerouting.

“The charge is in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation principles to support the development of world leading airports such as HIA to further increase the airport’s capacity and invest in new infrastructure and state-of-the-art technology to deliver world-class facilities for passengers,” the advisory said.

According to a Reuters report, airports in the UAE also announced similar taxes earlier this year aimed at improving airport infrastructures and capacity. The Dubai International Airport is considered the world’s busiest by international passenger traffic.

Airport fees, while common elsewhere in the world, have until recently been avoided by Gulf states as they seek to gain a competitive advantage for business and become regional hubs.

Some 1.33mn passengers travelled through the HIA in June. A number of travel agents have confirmed that they also received circulars from Qatar Airways and other foreign carriers such as Emirates and Philippine Airlines earlier.