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Independent Singapore
27-06-2025
- Independent Singapore
Singapore-bound travellers stranded as Middle East airspace closures ripple through Doha and Dubai
SINGAPORE: Thousands of travellers, including many headed to or returning from Singapore remain stranded at major Middle Eastern transit hubs — flight delays and cancellations continue to plague Doha's Hamad International Airport and Dubai International Airport, two of the busiest in the world. The disruption follows a sudden closure of airspace by Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, in response to rising regional tensions after Iran's missile strike on a US military base in Doha earlier this week. Long waits, little clarity At Hamad International , Singapore-bound travellers described long queues and scant updates on alternative arrangements. Some reported not being provided any accommodation , adding to frustrations amid the chaos. Meanwhile, Dubai International Airport — which handled over 92 million passengers in 2024 — saw a backlog of delays even after briefly resuming operations. According to FlightRadar24, more than 145 flights were cancelled and over 450 were delayed on Tuesday alone, Reuters reported. Ripple effects of a tense region The closures of airspace by Gulf countries, announced late Monday, have thrown air traffic into disarray. These air corridors are vital for routes between Europe and Asia, making hubs like Dubai and Doha especially vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions. See also YouTuber helps stop attack on Singaporean student in London Qatar Airways has said it is working to restore its flight schedules but cautioned that 'delays and diversions may continue through Thursday'. Dubai authorities similarly warned of ongoing disruptions despite the resumption of most services. Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue a specific advisory on transits through Doha or Dubai, but officials are closely monitoring the situation. MFA urges caution amid conflict In a statement at Changi Airport, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim urged Singaporeans to postpone non-essential travel to Middle Eastern areas affected by the escalating conflict. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has advised citizens to stay updated on official travel advisories and register with the MFA's eRegister system when travelling to high-risk regions. As of Wednesday night, Singapore-bound flights from both Doha and Dubai remained subject to change. Travellers are advised to check with their airlines before heading to the airport and to factor in additional travel time if planning layovers in affected cities. See also Xenophobic anger rears its ugly head at ATM machine in Singapore While regional governments and airport operators scramble to decongest terminals and resume schedules, the incident has once again highlighted the vulnerabilities of global aviation to geopolitical flashpoints.
Zawya
25-06-2025
- Zawya
Chaos for thousands of passengers stranded at Doha airport, long queues in Dubai
DUBAI/DOHA: Operations at two of the world's busiest airports in Doha and Dubai slowed to a crawl on Tuesday as thousands of travellers queued for hours, facing long delays and flight cancellations after the temporary closure of airspace a day earlier. Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait shut their airspace late on Monday after Iran's strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar's capital Doha, forcing airlines to cancel or reroute hundreds of flights and creating a backlog of stranded passengers. Airports across Dubai in the United Arab Emirates briefly halted operations. U.S. President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was in place and asked both sides not to violate it, raising hopes of an end to the 12-day war, but hostilities continued, with deadly attacks reported in both countries. "I haven't slept for 19 hours. And I've been in this line over nine hours," said Lily Rogers, 21, who was in an around 200 metres (656 feet) queue in Doha's Hamad International airport. The psychology student, en route to an holiday in Southeast Asia, said those in line were only given water during the wait. Virgin Australia estimated that over 25,000 passengers were stranded at Doha airport. Lines were so long that arguments broke out as some passengers jumped queues, according to a Reuters witness. Around 250 flights were cancelled at Hamad airport, while another 238 were delayed, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24. Long queues formed also at Dubai International, the busiest airport in the world, where about 145 flights were cancelled and over 450 delayed, FlightRadar24 data showed. Qatar Airways said it was "making progress in restoring its schedule" with possible disruptions until June 26. Dubai Airports and the Dubai government media office were not immediately available for comment. BUSY HUB Airports in the Middle East are some of the busiest in the world, covering an area stretching from Iran and Iraq to the Mediterranean and serving as a connecting hub for flights between Europe and Asia. The region has also taken on a more important role since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has forced airlines to avoid airspace over both countries. Dubai transported 92.3 million passengers last year, with a daily average of over 250,000. Israel's strikes against Iran on June 13 already prompted airlines from British Airways to Lufthansa to halt flights to some Middle East destinations due to air space closures and safety concerns. Following the U.S. attacks on Iran on Sunday, many have also cut flights to typically resilient hubs such as Dubai. The restrictions and closures have created ripple effects beyond the region, as most passenger traffic transits through Hamad airport to other destinations, said Asia-based independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie. Only 22% of passengers travelling through the airport had Qatar as their final destination in 2024, airport data shows. On Monday, Air India suspended flights to and from the U.S. East Coast, Canada and Europe, which involve a tight corridor between those destinations and the Indian subcontinent. That poses a challenge for Indian carriers because they do not have access to Pakistani airspace, analysts say. The two neighbours blocked access to each other's airspace in April after a brief military conflict. Air India said on Tuesday it would resume those flights as soon as airspaces reopen, while other carriers such as flydubai warned that delays would persist due to airspace congestion. "It's very frustrating," said Julien Moutte, a Paris-bound passenger who had been stuck at Doha's airport for around 15 hours. (Reporting by Luke Tyson and Amr Alfiky in Dubai and Mark Bendeich in Doha, additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Writing by Federico Maccioni; Editing by Josephine Mason and Bernadette Baum)
West Australian
07-06-2025
- West Australian
Attention to detail brings perfect peace to Doha's busy airport
Look up, and part of Doha's Hamad International Airport's secret is revealed. Wood print and shiny metal panels are penetrated by millions of small holes. Look left or right to the big columns and pillars, and their part in the story is less obvious. Look down to the flooring and, well, at a glance it could be flooring in any public or commercial space, anywhere. But each plays a part in what, for me, are the two standout features of this international hub, through which 52.7 million passengers passed in 2024 — 15 per cent more than in the previous year, and many of them flying with Qatar Airways. Hamad International Airport is the main international gateway of Qatar, the hub for Qatar Airways, and one of the busiest airports in the Middle East. The first big part of the 'new airport', as we still see it today, opened in 2014 — but I was here years before that, when it was a building site. One of the first contracts placed was for acoustic design — it was always important to the airport's developers that this be a quiet airport, with suppressed sound and muted cacophony. And the success of this is, for me, the greatest standout feature of the airport. I stand in the central hub of the airport, realising I can't hear the conversations of those around me, which are reduced to a hum. Trolleys pass without a sound from their wheels. I can't even hear my own footfall. In the Al Mourjan business class lounge, there's a large, shallow pool of water, and the most enormously tall curtains I've ever seen. But the acoustic success is not in mere wall hangings (even if extraordinary). Its foundations are in the skeleton of the airport. Acoustic measures were integrated into the architectural design of the airport, with pillars which transfer vibration into the ground. On top of that, the airport's many acoustic panels were designed and installed in the successful pursuit of a 'dry', and not 'live', soundscape. This all helps reduce reverberation times — the amount of time it takes for sound to 'decay' in a space. Hamad International, previously known simply as the 'New Doha International Airport', has one of the world's biggest insulated stainless steel, standing-seam roofs, built using DensDeck Prime Roof Boards. It covers 217,000sqm, and its acoustic performance has proved successful. So much so that, when the central concourse was expanded in 2022, DensDeck Prime Roof Board was once again chosen as the top layer. The concourse extension was largely to handle the extra passengers arriving for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the Dutch company Hunter Douglas was chosen to supply suspended acoustic ceiling panels. Flat panels have a honeycomb core and a front and back skin. Curved panels, in a wood print, have a single skin. About 70,000sqm of ceiling panels were installed, including about 16,000sqm of white acoustic panels. From design to production and delivery took less than eight months. The huge areas of the floors presented a big challenge. There could be 15,000 passengers an hour passing through the airport, and floors not only had to meet environmental and health and safety regulations, but be aesthetically pleasing . . . and quiet. American company Sherwin-Williams supplied and laid 140,000sqm of pigmented epoxy resin terrazzo during the initial new airport construction. Terrazzo flooring is a mix of aggregate with resin which is hard-wearing and durable. With re-polishing or resealing using water-based products, it could last 40 years. Because terrazzo has a mix of hard chips in a softer material, it disrupts the reflection of sound waves. Put simply, the hard chips scatter and absorb those sound waves, while the softer material cushions its impact. Sherwin-Williams shipped pre-mixed marble aggregates from Italy for the main floor areas, using three colours — dark grey, pure black, and white. The epoxy terrazzo was poured, ground and polished (and keep in mind this was done while there were up to 16,000 construction workers on site.) Sherwin-Williams reported very little waste as the amounts used in the terrazzo had to be measured accurately. Some areas were also treated with porcelain stoneware flooring, which was specifically developed by Italian company Cotto d'Este. The team there made tiles that are 60cm x 120cm, and 14mm thick. The porcelain stoneware has good acoustic qualities. Cotto d'Este has also worked on concert hall projects, like the new 1850-seat opera house and 1000-seat concert hall in Florence, Italy. At the start of this story, I said there were 'two standout features'. The acoustics is one, but the other is the quality of the materials used. Literally no expense was spared, and those I have met over the years who were (and are) involved in the architecture, interior design and build have repeatedly said how liberating and completely unusual it was to work on a project where the commitment was simply to having the best. For holiday travellers dipping into their savings or superannuation, there's often the question… is business class really worth paying four-or-five times an economy fare, or more? Sometimes it simply doesn't seem so, and increasingly travellers are moving to premium economy as an 'each-way bet'. What I call 'herringbone business class' might have bigger screens and better dining than economy class, but the fully reclining seats are in waist-high pods, the traveller's head nearest the aisle. They lack one essential ingredient — privacy. Qatar Airways' Qsuite is the game changer in business class, and it will set a new benchmark when it is introduced on the Perth route from June 25. A Qsuite is a fully enclosed private cabin with a sliding door. It feels like what first class once was. Qatar has being flying A380s between Perth and Doha which don't have Qsuites, but the airline is putting Boeing 777s on the route. Two Qsuites together, in the centre of the plane, will also transform into a double bed or family suite. An old travellers' adage is that once you've experienced business class, you can't go back to economy. And it may just be that travellers who've experienced a Qsuite won't be happy with other styles of business class.
Mint
13-05-2025
- Mint
Are these the world's most beautiful airports?
AIR TRAVEL in India can be frustrating. Flights at major airports are often delayed. Security protocols vary from one city to the next. The price of an airside beer would cause blushes even at Heathrow. Yet there is a redeeming factor that compensates for the annoyances: Indian airports are some of the most beautiful in the world. They reveal what India is capable of—and where it falls short. Around the world modern airports are variations on a glass-and-steel theme, usually with lots of white everywhere. Rising nations tend to pour money into erecting extravagant things. As countries in Asia and the Middle East grew in economic power over the past quarter-century, they signalled their new importance by building monumental terminals. Qatar, long determined to punch above its geopolitical weight, opened Hamad International in 2014. Under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has overseen a building boom, Turkey inaugurated an airport in Istanbul, one of the largest in the world, in 2018. China's Beijing Daxing (pictured, below), finished the following year, is all soaring arches, luscious curves and soft edges. Sleek, modern and ambitious, the airports proclaim themselves and their countries as the future. Not in India. Bangalore's Terminal 2 (pictured, below), which opened in 2023, was designed as a 'terminal in a garden", a nod to the verdant metropolis's reputation as a 'garden city". It is different from anything in China or the Middle East. As a statement, its vision is less sci-fi spaceship than prelapsarian arcadia. Earthy tones dominate the colour palette. There are splashes of green where the ample foliage emerges from gigantic hanging planters. Beams are covered in bamboo, giving the impression that the whole thing is made of organic materials. Renewing the past Bill Drexel, an American think-tanker who recently visited India, recalls being 'blown away immediately" by Bangalore's new terminal. That, he adds, 'was particularly remarkable because I arrived in the wee hours…and would have much rather been asleep". Tanner Greer, an analyst who took part in the same trip, wrote that 'Aesthetically, Indian futurism is very pleasant. It fares well in contrast to Chinese futurism, which is raw and ugly." The first major new terminals to open in India's modern airport-building boom aspired to be like those Chinese ones. Airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad (pictured, below), opened in 2008, are standard-issue glass-and-steel. Delhi's shiny Terminal 3, opened in 2010, has a similar aesthetic, distinguished only by its infamously ugly carpet. Mumbai's Terminal 2 (pictured, top), completed in 2014, marked a turning-point. The predominant material is concrete. Its reigning motif is the feather of a peacock, India's national bird. The motif is visible in the detailing of the huge columns that hold up the roof, in the light fixtures, even in the signage. GVK, the conglomerate that commissioned the terminal, wanted to ensure that when someone arrives at the airport they will instantly know they are in India, says Derek Moore of SOM, the American firm that designed it. Bangalore's second terminal, also by SOM, followed suit. For Mr Moore, the two projects were 'the high points of my career". Goa's second airport, opened in 2023, is another example. Its interior is embellished with the façades of Portuguese-inflected homes found in the state. Cheerful bunting is everywhere. A second airport for Mumbai, scheduled to start operations in May, uses as its motif the lotus, India's national flower. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, a British firm, it, too, is guaranteed to be distinctive. The design of India's airports reveals deeper truths about the country, among them a willingness to allocate money to beauty, or at least decoration. Across India, even the most mundane underpasses and bridges are covered in bright murals of tribal art, local landmarks or abstract designs. In Mumbai pillars holding up the metro rail now being built have already been festooned with patterns. Not all of it is attractive, but it is never boring. Prettying up infrastructure raises costs, although not by much. Mr Moore reckons that the aesthetically pleasing extras are unlikely to have added more than 1-2% to the overall cost of Mumbai's or Bangalore's terminals, compared with an unornamented design. Yet 1% is not nothing in what remains an extremely cost-conscious country. Government authorities and private firms believe the expense is worth it. It's what's on the inside that counts A second insight is that India is unwilling to forsake its history and traditions in pursuit of modernity. GVK's vision for Mumbai's Terminal 2 (pictured, below), says Mr Moore, was that it 'needed to embody the heritage of India" while also being contemporary. The firm's designers were taken on a tour of historical sites to serve as inspiration. China's attitude, says Mr Drexel, who has spent time in both countries, is 'we want to be at the top for looking more modern than anybody", whereas India's is 'we want to be ourselves, we want to be congruent with the traditions of our national culture." Lastly, India's airports exemplify the power of privatisation. Until the turn of the century the state operated every airport in India, and most were awful. Massive amounts of investment poured in after each privatisation. But the job is incomplete. State-run airports and other public buildings—new railway and metro stations, especially—are an eyesore. No less important is the quality of construction. 'A lot of stuff coming up is awful: poorly designed, poorly detailed and poorly constructed," says Bimal Patel, an architect and urban planner. Government projects are afflicted by many ills, including poorly designed contracts, inflexible requirements and corruption. Corners are cut. Last year three airport canopies collapsed in heavy rains (including one at the privately run Delhi airport). New highways and bridges quickly develop cracks or potholes. The joins in flyovers are inexact, making for bumpy rides. In 2022 researchers at the IMF published a paper that looked at average speeds between big cities in 162 countries as a proxy for the quality of infrastructure. Despite building tens of thousands of highways in the previous two decades, India ranked 127th, just ahead of Somalia. Quantity is a poor substitute for quality. Nor can gorgeous new terminals and their world-class operators banish the ghosts of the old, inefficient India that haunts travellers. Security officers hand-wand every passenger and physically inspect seemingly every third bag. Immigration officers insist on hard-copy paperwork. At customs, passengers must load bags into x-ray machines—as they exit airports. Many new airports have no public-transport links. All these functions are handled by the state. Indian airports are designed to evoke the country's past. But not everything is worth preserving. Stay on top of our India coverage by signing up to Essential India, our free weekly newsletter.
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Qatar's Hamad Airport Holds Steady In New Rankings As Duty-Free Offer Expands
A series of rankings were unveiled today and last week that are often reliable indicators of current and future duty-free retail performances at airports. One airport, Qatar's Hamad International, maintained its standing across all these lists. Last week's 2025 Skytrax Awards saw the Qatar Airways hub, opened in 2014, lose its crown as the world's top airport to Singapore Changi; the latter returning to the number one spot, as voted by air travelers around the world. Hamad International dropped to second place as the Singapore hub recovered traffic volumes after Covid, but it retained pole position as best airport in the Middle East for the 11th consecutive year. The biggest movers in the global Top 10, released at Passenger Terminal Expo in Madrid, were Dubai International, which dropped out, slipping from 7th last year to 11th in 2025, while Hong Kong International and Rome's Fiumicino airport climbed to 6th and 8th respectively, from 11th and 12th. Today, global airport association, Airports Council International (ACI), released its definitive preview list of 2024's busiest international airports for traffic. While Doha is ranked 10th with 52.7 million passengers, it is now 36% ahead of pre-pandemic 2019, indicating the progress the airport has made in recent years in building capacity and hub connections. This is in sharp contrast to several European hubs, notably Germany's Frankfurt, which is still 11% down on 2019, but remains on an infrastructure expansion path. Only Turkey's Istanbul Airport—where travel retail Gebr. Heinemann and its local partners have the core retail business—has shown better results since 2019, with 59% growth. However, this reflects, in part, a change in location from Istanbul's previous pre-pandemic hub of Atatürk to a much larger, new gateway. Heinemann has gained handsomely from the growth, which has also been fueled by Turkish Airlines' unswerving focus on network expansion. A third ranking, also from Skytrax, saw Hamad International see off some stiff competition from the likes of London Heathrow and Singapore Changi, to win the award for the world's best airport shopping for the third year running. Retail at the airport, with a slew of luxury brands present, is operated by Qatar Airways subsidiary Qatar Duty Free (QDF) which saw high sales growth of 18% last year. The three rankings combined put QDF in a good position for the rest of 2025, on the back of continuing traffic growth. Last year, the retailer launched more than 18 new retail outlets and created high-impact campaigns with luxury brands like Chanel and YSL. This year, the official opening of further terminal extensions in the form of concourses D and E at the end of March has added almost 30,000 square feet (2,700 square meters) of new retail space in the terminal, boosting the airport's capacity to more than 65 million. Hamad Airport's chief operating officer, Hamad Ali Al Khater, said: 'Our focus is to deliver operational excellence that supports both current demands and future growth. Concourses D and E mark a significant milestone in expanding our capacity. This combined development streamlines passenger flow, optimizes resource management, and strengthens airline connectivity.' The concourses complete the airport's development plan (started in 2018), adding 17 new aircraft contact gates to push the total to 62. They also introduced about 10 new retail and dining outlets, including a souk-style market, Joe & The Juice, Accessories Lab, plus luxury Fendi and Giorgio Armani stores. QDF declined to provide details of all the stores, but the larger footprint should help the retailer to ramp up growth this year. A 25th anniversary campaign is also coming soon, plus a total of 25 retail and food and beverage outlets are expected by the year-end to mark the occasion. QDF's data-sharing platform, 36Q, launched in late 2024, will be instrumental to future sales gains. In a statement, the company said: '36Q empowers QDF and its partners to deliver hyper-personalized experiences—whether it is luxury splurges or daily essentials.' Personalization is high on the priority list. Hamad International now has more than 200 retail and dining outlets, but Qatar Duty Free continues to hunt for retail experiences that travelers will see as unique, exclusive, and that cannot be found anywhere else.
