Hamad International Airport registered 17.6mn passengers in the first half of this year, up 20% on 14.6mn served during the same period last year, "setting a new passenger record" for the airport, HIA said.

HIA also saw a significant increase in aircraft operations from January to June with a total of 118,069 movements, which represents a 17% increase in aircraft take-offs and landings at the airport, compared to the same period in 2015.

This growth is attributed to the continuous expansion of Qatar Airways with eight new destinations added in the first half of the year namely, Adelaide, Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Los Angeles, Marrakech, Ras Al Khaimah and Yerevan as well as new flights by Philippine Airlines, Atlas Global Airlines and Himalaya Airlines.

Cargo tonnage continued to grow strongly by 20.3% totalling 817,792 tonnes during the same period, further strengthening HIA’s position as one of the world’s major cargo hubs.

HIA’s top routes in regards to passenger numbers during the first half of this year were Dubai, London, Bangkok, Bahrain and Colombo, generating collectively 20.3% of the airport’s traffic.

The UAE topped all countries in terms of total passenger numbers followed by India, Saudi Arabia, the US and United Kingdom.

Regionally, the Far East achieved a 33.6% share of passenger movements, followed by the Middle East with 22% and Europe with 21.6% during the same period.

On the airport’s figures, Badr Mohamed al-Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, said: “The first six months of this year have been the busiest for our airport to date, achieving record passenger and aircraft movement traffic. We expect HIA to continue demonstrating a healthy and steady growth in passenger numbers for the rest of the year, supporting Qatar’s vision for HIA to be leader among global aviation hubs. We are therefore committed to further invest in the development of HIA, by adding capacity, improving connectivity and delivering the best services to our travellers who have voted us as one of the top ten airports and the 5th best airport shopping in the world for 2016, and the top airport in the Middle East for the last two years.”

Hamad International Airport is the hub for Qatar Airways, which now flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide. Doha has now become a global hub for business and leisure travel.

HIA’s facilities include two dual capacity runways, one of the largest free span maintenance hangars in the world, a cutting edge two-storey cargo facility and one of the world’s largest self-contained catering facilities.

HIA also boasts of an airside hotel, two airside squash courts, a gym, a 25-metre swimming pool and spa and houses art pieces by local and international artists, placed across the terminal.

At Hamad International Airport, Qatar Duty Free offers 40,000 square metres of combined retail, food and beverage facilities, establishing the retailer as a premier shopping and dining destination.

With more than 70 retail outlets offering an unprecedented selection of designer labels, fashion, electronics, gourmet foods and much more, QDF at Hamad International Airport caters to all tastes and needs. In addition, more than 30 cafes and restaurants offer a sumptuous selection of global and local cuisine.