Since 2014, Doha Airport has been used primarily for flights by royals and VIPs, as well as the Qatar Air Force.
The nearby Hamad airport has become a hub with the growth of the national carrier Qatar Airways.
The authorities of this Gulf country did not comment on the reopening, but the low-cost companies of Kuwait (
Jazeera Airways
), the United Arab Emirates (
Fly Dubai
), Oman (
Salam Air
) and Turkey (
Pegasus Airlines
) are selling tickets to Doha Airport starting September 15.
Jazeera Airways announced on its website that from next Thursday "
all our scheduled flights (...) will be temporarily moved to Doha International Airport
".
In an email to passengers, the company said the change will last until December 30, 2022 and "
follows instructions from the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority
".
Qatar had announced earlier in the year that a number of Gulf airlines would operate more than 100 daily shuttles to Doha airport during the World Cup, which begins on November 20 and ends on December 18.
150,000 visitors expected on the busiest days
Passengers on these flights will be subject to immigration checks on departure to reduce the wait upon arrival in Qatar and will depart once their game is over.
More than three million passengers passed through Hamad Airport in June alone.
The total of 8.42 million passengers in the second quarter is 18% higher than in the first three months of the year, according to the civil aviation authority.
An expansion project will see the capacity of this airport increased to 58 million passengers per year.
With 150,000 visitors expected on the busiest days of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, some aviation industry experts fear Hamad airport will struggle to cope with the massive influx of fans.
How to get around Doha during the World Cup?
The metro, free for fans with the Hayya Card, connects the main places of interest in Doha and the stadiums.
KARIM JAAFAR / AFP
All tourists, whether they intend to attend a match or not, must apply for a Hayya Card if they are visiting Qatar between November 1, 2022 and January 23, 2023. This digital card, which can be downloaded from a dedicated mobile application acts as an authorization to enter the territory, includes entrance tickets to the stadiums and allows free use of public transport in Doha on match days.
To validate the Hayya Card application, it is necessary to have previously reserved accommodation.
The eight World Cup stadiums, as well as most of the
fan zones
, are connected by metro, tram or bus shuttles.
The metro, ultramodern and composed of three lines, serves Hamad International Airport, the historic center (Souq Waqif, Msheireb...) and the main museums of Doha (Museum of Islamic Arts, National Museum of Qatar...).
Access to public transport is free with the Hayya Card on match days.
Otherwise, the ticket is very cheap: count only 0.50 € per trip.
More information on the Qatar Tourist Office website (
visitqatar.qa
, translated into French) and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 website (
qatar2022.qa
, in English).
