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November 6 – The opening of a new $14 billion (£8.5 billion) international airport in Doha in 2011 will help boost Qatar’s campaign to host the 2022 World Cup, the chief executive of the bid has claimed.
When it is completed, the airport will be the fourth biggest in the world, ahead of London Heathrow and Narita International Airport.
But, more importantly, chief executive Hassan Abdulla Al Thawadi, claimed that it showed that Qatar could deliver major infrastructure and building projects despite its relatively small size.
He said: “This is excellent news – and demonstrates that Qatar can and does deliver on its promises, however ambitious they may seem.
“Having a state-of-the-art international airport is a key element in our historic bid to host the World Cup in 2022.
“Championships of this size get people flocking from all around the world to watch.
“We will be honoured to welcome them all to a great tournament.
“The Middle East is a region that is developing very fast in the world of football – and sports in general.
“This is an historic chance for FIFA to give the Middle East the chance to host a global tournament.”
“People will want to visit our fascinating, vibrant and magical country in 2022 because they are football fans and are looking forward to the matches and the fan-zones.
“But there is more than just football on offer here: Qatar and the Middle East are home to some of the most exotic vacation destinations in the world.”
The new airport will have a capacity for 24 million passengers and cargo of 1.4 million tonnes a year and will accommodate Qatar Airways, the country’s flagship airline, which has a fleet of almost 70 planes and plans add 42 planes in four years and has orders for more than 220 planes, worth $40 billion (£24 billion).
The airport is also expected to be the first airport in the world to fully handle Airbus A380, the world’s biggest commercial aircraft.
It is being built next to the old airport, about less than two miles east.
Al Thawadi said: “Qatar Airways has also signed a ground-breaking agreement with the aviation industry body IATA to spearhead a truly global carbon offset trading scheme designed to help fund global environmental projects.
“Qatar Airways is also looking into changing its entire fleet to run on environmentally friendly gas-based fuel in the future.
“This perfectly reflects another key element of our World Cup plans: to organise an incredibly environmentally-friendly edition of the world’s favourite tournament in 2022.”