cover story march
TRANSCRIPT
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Mar ch 20 13 | Qatar today 45
the air transport sector in the Middle
east is undergoing a rapid transforMation
as passenger traffic begins to surge in
the region, priMarily because of the swift
expansion of airlines such as eMirates,
etihad and Qatar airways. Meanwhile, the
dubai, abu dhabi and doha airports have
launched Massive expansion projects toMatch future traffic forecasts. they will
have a coMbined capacity of 340 Million
passengers a year by 2020.
passenger traffic at the three hubs
continues to grow by leaps and bounds,
regardless of regional disruptions that
affected traffic in the Middle east last
year. Much of this is testaMent to the
strength of their hoMe carriers, the
developMent policies pursued at each of theairports and local governMents visions to
transforM their cities into Major aviation
centres.
Qatar todayputs the spotlight on haMad
international airport, the latest entrant
to the coMpetition, to find out how it will
affect the other hubs in the region.
by sindhu nair
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The sky is The limiTCover sTory
hia:a new era inpassenger travelThe silence as we walk into the Passenger Ter-
minal Complex is interrupted only by the gentle
echo o a water body. The act that the huge prem-ises have still not opened their doors and begun
their anticipated undertaking contributes to the
almost eerie peace. But I presume it has more to
do with the architecture o the large space than
with the absence o activity. Inside the humon-
gous passenger terminal o the Hamad Interna-
tional Airport (HIA) or an exclusive premiere o
the acilities beore it opens its doors next month
to 12 airlines, I eel I am part o a landmark mo-
ment a moment that is sure to rewrite the his-
tory o air transport in Qatar.
Not everyone might agree with this, given the
umpteen delays and bad press that the construc-
tion o the airport has gone through beore it
nally raises its curtains.The architects o HIA, though, have kept their
promise o a space that dazzles and o a mission
that goes well beyond that o an ordinary airport.
This act is corroborated by Bernardo Gogna,
Director o the New Doha International Airport
Steering Committee and an architect who is re-
luctant to be in ocus but desires that the edice
itsel takes the limelight.
The sense o space, with the sunlight stream-
ing in through the beautiul skylights, the signage
that is unctional without being conspicuous,
technology that is the best available all this
CheCk-in Counters at the Passenger terminal
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brings the passenger experience ar beyond
what constitutes an airport, he says.
Gogna goes a step urther and calls the
HIA a luxurious resort, with lounges and
services that will make it seem like one,
he says.
Artfully designed
There is one aspect o the airport that truly
classies it a notch above other airports in
the world.
There is no airport, not that I know o,
which has a museum within its premises.
And HIA will have a museum space with
art that will engage passengers and remain
with them orever, he says.
The retail space is also artully de-
signed. But the act that there is a delicate
balance between all these acilities without
being overly ambitious on any one o theseeatures is what makes the HIA a bench-
mark in airport design, says Gogna.
Reecting on the concept o the design,
Gogna says: The inspiration or the airport
was rom the act that we were situated on
the edge o the water body. The notion o
the water concept begins rom this and is
carried orward in the wave-like structure
o the roos o the terminals. The wave is
especially prominent on the departure
terminals, replicating the notion o depar-
ture, o the movement o people rom one
destination to another, something that is
a constant in an airport. The movement othe roo also ollows with the movement o
the passenger. There is a transition o the
unctionalities, and then there is the plaza
where all the passengers come to.
From destination passengers to transit
passengers (who constitute 70% o the to-
tal movement), everyone moves through a
huge space called the plaza. It is utilised as
a medium to portray the social abric and
cultural happenings o the country.
This is not advertising, which is typical
o the Times Square model. This is more
like a methodology to let the world knowwhat is happening in Qatar, says Gogna.
This is one o the reasons why the proj-
ect is so important, he explains, because
the airport becomes much more than
what it typically should be it serves as a
highly-evolved public acility that puts art,
architecture and culture together.
The museum concept, which was also
introduced in airports or the rst time in
HIA, is not or decoration, insists Gogna,
it is integration.
Hong Kong Airport and Singapores
Changi Airport are believed to be the bestairport designs in the world. And while the
HIA has imbibed eatures rom the best de-
signs, it has also tried to improve on them,
according to Gogna.
In the end, the deciding actor or any ar-
chitectural project o this scale is the client,
and how many o the ideas get translated
into breathtaking architecture.
A project is only as good as the client,
says Gogna, The Steering Committee o
the project was adamant on creating a mas-
terpiece. The project was a challenge or us
Bernardo GoGnaDireCtor o the new Doha international airPort steering Committee
Landmark Features:HIA stretcHes Across
29 square kiLometresAnd Includes multI-concourse termInAl 1 (openIng next montH), tHe emIrI termInAl,A mosque, A second pAssenger termInAl (future expAnsIon), veHIcle rentAl And cAr
fAcIlItIes, cArgo, A mAIntenAnce HAngAr And cAterIng fAcIlItIes.
(cont on pg. 48)
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The sky is The limiTCover sTory
The combination o a well-oiled and e-
cient national carrier and a technologically
advanced acility gives Qatar the edge, says
HE Al-Noaimi.
Without a national carrier the acili-
ties would cater or oreign airlines, which
would reduce prot within the country.
Without the acilities within the coun-
try the airline would have to outsource
acilities, he says.
It has been a huge journey or the coun-
try, or a acility that in the 1950s was
used or one plane monthly to be cater-
ing or 28 million passengers per year.
For someone who has witnessed this
growth, share with us your memories.
The need or the air transport sector ap-
peared in the 1950s, when oil companies
required transportation or their person-
nel and equipment. The rst runway was
established in the western part o the
country, ollowed by two others, one south
o Umm Said and another east o Doha, orcommercial air transportation, which used
to operate one plane per month.
Over the years, as economic and social
development in the region progressed,
Qatar wisely invested in its own aviation
and cargo services and has today estab-
lished a new aviation hub the Hamad
International Airport (HIA) that will
not only support the incredible growth
o our national carrier, Qatar Airways,
but will also meet the increasing pas-
senger trac without compromising on
international standards o aviation saety
and security.
The remarkable vision o HH Sheikh
Hamad bin Khalia Al Thani, Emir o the
Qatar, in planning, suggesting, guiding and
watching all projects closely has motivat-
ed the country to lead and develop or its
benet and or the wellbeing o the people.
The signicance o seeing one plane per
month was indeed a sight to remember
and an occasion! The irony now is seeing
hundreds o aircrat movements daily, and
taking that to be the norm and business as
usual.
tHe HIstory of AIr trAnsport In qAtAr goes bAck to tHe 1950s wHen tHe oIl compAnIes needed trAnsportAtIon for tHeIr personnel And
equIpment. one mAn wHo HAs seen It All tHe Humongous growtH of tHe sector from one plAne usIng tHe fAcIlItIes per montH to A
Hub wItH tHousAnds of movement Is tHe cHAIrmAn of qAtAr cIvIl AvIAtIon AutHorIty (qcAA), He Abdul AzIz Al-noAImI. In An exclusIveIntervIew wItH qAtAr todAy, He tAkes A trIp down memory lAne commentIng on tHe sustAInAble pAtH to be Adopted by AvIAtIon Hubs.
froM one plane a Month to hundredsof aircraft MoveMents
He aBdul aziz al-noaimiChairman o Qatar Civil aviation authority (QCaa)
mosquetHe wAter-droplet-InspIred structure of tHe mosque HAs A
glAss sHell wItH A gently domed roof, And cAn AccommodAte 500
worsHIppers.
35 m mInAret
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Mar ch 20 13 | Qatar today 49
What will be the challenges or the
QCAA with the new airport launch?
The main challenges will be to manage a
acility o that size eciently and to ensure
the integration o commercial, corporate,
and other organisations that operate in the
airport. Since HIA is equipped with state-o-the-art technology, it needs constant
vigilance against hackers and malunc-
tioning; other elements include updating
sotware and annual maintenance o all
equipment.
Another challenge will be implementing
the necessary training system or all de-
partments to communicate, interact and
relay messages and work as a team.
What makes Qatar the perect aviation
hub in the region?
Qatars strategic location in the Middle
East region makes it a natural geographiclink between the global East and West.
As a result it is emerging as an attractive
location or many political, economic
and intellectual groups and is also the
venue or political orums, international
conerences, world-class conventions,
and cultural as well as international
estivals.
The period o great expansion and ac-
celerated growth that Qatar is undergo-
ing contributes to the country becoming
a ocal point or culture, knowledge and
business or the 21st century. In addi-tion, our national carrier Qatar Airways
travels to over 100 destinations, which
opens up more opportunities and in-
creases the number o passengers passing
through Doha.
The HIA is ully geared to be an aviation
hub that will be able to cater or 50 mil-
lion passengers per year (at ull capacity),
with both runways allowing or a
trac capacity o 100 aircrat movements
per hour.
Does it matter that there are other
hubs in close proximity? How does it
aect competition?
The GCC region has recorded investment
to the tune o QR328 billion ($90 billion)
in the setting up, reurbishment and ex-
pansion o airport inrastructure. Everycountry in the region is in the process o
expanding its air, road and sea transport
and cargo handling acilities, as demand
grows or goods and services rom across
the world. According to this act, we will
witness a number o world-class airports
competing to provide the highest level o
services related to the aviation industry,
retail business, travelling standards and
cargo acilities.
Will the QCAA look at encouraging
more private entities within the Air-
port?The QCAA certainly looks at encouraging
more private entities within the airport,
according to the ramework and standards
set by the Council o Ministers.
The Middle East cargo market has re-
mained relatively robust, growing 8.2%
during 2011 and more than 15% in 2012.
How do you think having the new acili-
ties will help improve this market?
Across the Middle East region there is an
increase in investment in various inra-
structure projects. The Emirs National Vi-sion 2030 has outlined the ambitious plans
or Qatar. In addition, there is a growing
ocus on manuacturing in the region.
These developments have a signicant
impact on the growth o the cargo market.
Qatar has careully studied this growth and
planned or the cargo acilities at the new
airport accordingly. The opening capacity
o the Cargo Terminal is 1.4 million metric
tonnes per year, with ull capacity set to in-
crease to 2.5 million metric tonnes.
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC),
the operator o Abu Dhabis ve air-
ports, revealed that Abu Dhabi Duty
Free retail revenue reached AED809.5
million in 2012, an increase o 24%
over 2011. How will Doha compete with
this?We very much admire the UAEs unique
and long experience in the domain o de-
veloping duty ree retail. The equation is
governed by the percentage o passengers
who use airports duty ree markets and
the way it is presented and promoted.
The experience o Qatar in this eld has
come a long way and it is growing rapidly.
When the aviation sector is going
through a lean phase globally, how is
it that all the Middle East airlines post
positive results. What is the reasoning
and do you think this is a sustainablegrowth or all the hubs?
The growth rate in the Middle East has
been afected to a large extent by the world
crisis, but it did not stop. Positive or nega-
tive growth is inuenced by both the situ-
ation o world markets as well as the po-
litical stability o each country. I think that
the growth rate will match the increased
needs o these markets.
There has been an allegation by a pri-
vate entity that operates within the
Doha International Terminal that itsgrowth is being hampered by the Au-
thority. How do you respond to that
allegation?
The QCAA is responsible or regulating
aviation operations and managing the avia-
tion hubs in the State o Qatar has the right
and the ull authority to take the appro-
priate action in case any airline company
operating within the Doha International
Airport breaks rules and regulations.
Passenger terminaL ComPLex
600,000 sq mtermInAl
41contAct gAtes
3centrAl utIlIty plAnts
29 halAgoon
3,450cAr pArkIng spAc-
es6,900 sq mttrAnsportAtIon
fAcIlIty
100lImousIne stAgIng cApAcIty
88pAssenger loAdIng brIdges
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The sky is The limiTCover sTory
as the pressure and complexity o the re-quirement was high, but on the other hand
the result was the building. The continuous
interace between the Steering Committee
and the project team made sure that the
eatures and architecture remained very
competitive in comparison with the best.
Airport City
Another revolutionary project is the HIA
Airport City, a project spanning 10sq km,
where 200,000 people will work and live.
According to Rem Koolhaas, the concept
architect o the city, it is perhaps the rst
serious efort anywhere in the world to in-terace between an international airport
and the city it serves. Downtown Doha will
be within ve kilometres o the airport,
linked to the new urban abric o Airport
City and its new transport connections.
The master plan has been conceived as
a series o our circular districts, con-
nected by what is called a Green Spine
running parallel to HIAs second runway.
HIA Airport City is intended to provide in-
rastructure to maximise the commercial
unctionality o the growing airport.
The typology o Airport City is inresponse to the growth o air travel, requir-
ing the expansion o the existing airport
and its encroaching into the abric o the
city. The city is thus targeted or optimised
development o the transport hub o an air-
port and its surrounding airside and land-
side supporting unctions, says Gogna.
Because the city is close to the airport,
HIA Airport City makes a unique case and
an opportunity to create a bufer zone o
development. It is planned to serve the best
interests o both the airport and airside
unctions and the city, he explains.
The development connects, but alsoseparates, the city rom the airport, he
says.
HIA Airport City will have established
zones: the business district, the aviation
campus, the logistics district and, meeting
a newly-constructed marina, a residential
district.
The 30-year master plan o the HIA proj-
ect that substantial parts o the business
district and all o the aviation campus will
be developed within 10 years.
trAnsportThere will be extra ocus on an e-
cient street and public transport net-
work that will serve to promote en-
ergy eciency and mitigate excessive
travel times and distances. This comeswithin the Airport City that is part o
the master plan o the HIA and will be
completed in the next phase.
The transport hub created by the
Terminal 2 Complex will attract trav-
ellers, and the development area will
be commercially attractive.
Rail, metro, bus and extensive road
network linking to the Business Dis-
trict will create an interace between
this area o HIA Airport City and the
centre o Doha.
The three unctional zones o the
terminal are the rail concourse andbusiness centre; Terminal two; and the
Terminal 2 Plaza, which connects the
air and rail unctions o the develop-
ment. The terminal will be an airside-
landside link and an area where local
and international business will con-
verge. In the levels beneath the air ter-
minal, the Metro (Red Line) and LDR
rail links stations provide links or pas-
sengers to greater Doha and uture rail
services to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and
the UAE.
art Programme28sItes wItHIn And Around tHe
termInAl
14regIonAl And InternAtIonAlly
AcclAImed ArtIsts
ConCourses a & B270
seAts per
Hold room
20gAtes wItH
Hold rooms
dePartures haLL
25,000 sq mcolumn-free spAce
24mHIgH ceIlIng
150cHeck-In stAtIons
14fIrst clAss cHeck-In bootHs
16busIness clAss cHeck-In desks
(cont from pg. 45)
interior view o the Passenger terminal
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we dont rely on anyparticular Market
seems like the aggres-
sive airline is continuing
to increase its destina-
tions as Al-Baker says:By the end o 2015, we
expect to be ying a eet o 170 aircrat to
170 destinations worldwide. This compares
with the current eet o 119 aircrat (as o
end o February 2013) and 125 global desti-
nations.
The rst phase o the QR56.4 billion
($15.5 billion) airport project involves a
select ew international passenger airlines
becoming the launch carriers o the new
acility. The new acility is a global show-
piece, which will accommodate 28 million
passengers annually when it opens thisyear, increasing to 50 million passengers
beyond 2015. One can expect a truly world-
class experience at the newest aviation hub,
reiterating QAs commitment to creating a
superior travel experience, he says.
The aviation sector is a very volatile
sector. It is aected by uel prices, the
global economy and by events such as
natural calamities and disease out-
breaks. How true is this or QA?
Its been just over 16 years since QA re-
launched and you can imagine that there
have denitely been some ups and downsalong the way. What is crucial is to have a
solid business model in place and a clear
vision not to lose sight o our strategic ob-
jectives, set out in 1997 at the time o our
relaunch.
While other airlines were shrinking their
operations, cutting capacity, reducing staf-
ing levels and parking aircrat, QA actually
expanded relentlessly, growing its route
map, eet size and staf numbers. QA cur-
rently ies a modern eet o 119 aircrat to
125 key business and leisure destinations
across Europe, the Middle East, Arica,
Asia-Pacic and the Americas with the ag-
gressive expansion continuing into 2013.
Our business model is such that we dont
rely on any particular market. We have a di-verse market mix and diverse network, and
we are able to easily shit capacity around
according to market needs in good or bad
times.
With the aviation sector globally just
pulling through, how have Middle East
carriers managed to keep their heads
above water? Is it only rom govern-
ment support or is the region proving
itsel above the volatile conditions that
aect airlines as such?
The Middle East, despite the global eco-
nomic slowdown, has proven to be one o
the astest-growing and robust aviation
markets in the world. I believe that the
Middle East will continue to outperormthe rest o the world in the levels o service
ofered. We cater or such a multicultural
passenger mix. By ollowing the hub-and-
spoke operation model we carry passengers
rom around the world with a value-or-
money ofering and excellent in-ight ex-
perience. Our eet is modern and our ser-
vice is impeccable, which is why we garner
awards, exceeding customers expectations.
Todays customers want value-or-money
and quality o service. We ofer both, unlike
many airlines around the world.
As tHe AIrport operAtor And mAIn AIrlIne user of HIA, qAtAr AIrwAys ceo AkbAr Al-bAker AlwAys
dreAms bIg. qAtAr AIrwAys (qA) Is Also known As tHe AggressIve plAyer In tHe AvIAtIon sector,
expAndIng destInAtIons And buyIng new AeroplAnes. steerIng tHIs growtH Is Al-bAker, wHo Is sAId
to HAve An eye for detAIl And In HIs own words, Is never complAcent. He speAks exclusIvely to
qAtAr todAyon tHe AvIAtIon sector And tHe new member In tHe qAtAr AIrwAys fAmIly, tHe HAmAd
InternAtIonAl AIrport.
it
akBar al-BakerCeo, Qatar airways
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In a recent study by the Germany-basedJet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation
Centre, Finnair was rated the saest
airline, while China Air was 60th out
o the 60 surveyed. QA was mid-table
with Emirates and Etihad in the top 10.
What makes an airline especially sae to
travel with?
Saety is always a high priority or us. The
airline made history in 2003 when it be-
came the rst airline in the world to pass
IATAs new, stringent IOSA saety audit
with 100% compliance and we have con-
tinued to pass the audit with ull compli-
ance ever since.Audits are carried out regularly, and we
at QA take great pride in ensuring we have
100% compliance with saety and security
procedures.
What is Qatar Airways stand on Boe-
ing 787, given the act that you have
ordered 55 o them? Will you be going
ahead with the order?
Saety remains the number one priority
or QA. We ensure all our aircrat meet the
most stringent saety standards and this
will not be compromised in any way. We areactively working with Boeing and the regu-
lators to restore ull customer condence in
the 787. Qatar Airways will resume 787 op-
erations when we are clear that the aircrat
meets the ull requirements o the airwor-
thiness directive. So we are not ying the
aircrat until such time as this is achieved.
The Dreamliner is a wonderul state-o-
the-art aircrat, with a revolutionary design
and environmental credentials, and we are
condent that once the issues are resolved
we will continue to operate the aircrat.
With three hubs in close proximity,what will make customers avour QA
and HIA over the others? Do you believe
in ollowing the numbers game?
We do not believe in the numbers game, but
truly strive to ofer the best levels o world-
class service to our customers. As the air-
port operator and main airline user o HIA,
Qatar Airways will ensure that the airport
experience surpasses expectations in op-
erational excellence and customer experi-
ence, and strive to be the best aviation hub
in the world. This is a world-class, iconic
airport that is set to open, creating greatnew benchmarks in design, structure and
experience. We look orward to welcom-
ing the world through this wonderul new
gateway.
Today, the airline has orders or over
250 aircrat worth more than QR182
billion ($50 billion). What are its pro-
curement plans or the next couple o
years?
We continue to grow with clear strategic ob-
jectives. Right now, we are looking orward
to moving operations to a brand new air-
port, and we look orward to taking deliveryo a brand new eet o aircrat that includes
the Airbus A380 superjumbo rom next
year, and developing our route and aircrat
numbers even more.
You have stated that only 18% o your
customers are local. Does that mean
they will be at a disadvantage?
Qatar Airways and most airlines rom the
Middle East ollow the hub-and-spoke busi-
ness model or their route networks. With
a relatively small population base in our
the Cargo terminal at the hamaD international airPort
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Mar ch 20 13 | Qatar today 53
respective markets, it is essential as part o
our business model to y passengers rom
around the world to destinations around
the world using Doha as a key hub. Our cen-
tral geographic position gives us signicantadvantage as we are located at the cross-
roads o East and West. Our operations are
designed to provide convenient connec-
tions or travellers transiting through to
onward destinations.
This does not mean that our local cus-
tomers are at a disadvantage. Like all our
passengers worldwide, the local population
is ofered the award-winning world-class
service and in-ight experience that we are
known or, taking them to over 120 destina-
tions spreading across six continents.
Is it true that the service is disparateacross sectors at QA ?
This is not true. As a testimony to our suc-
cessul operations, in a short span o just 16
years, QA remains one o the astest-grow-
ing airlines in the world. Due to the con-
tinued support o our passengers and with
the hard work and commitment o our em-
ployees, we have been awarded, or two con-
secutive years, Worlds Best Airline at the
annual Skytrax awards. This is an incredible
achievement or a young airline in todays
highly competitive global aviation industry.
We take great pride in our service, our highstandards, our employees and the people we
serve our passengers.
What would your prime aim be as the
operator o HIA? Comort, class or
over-the-top-luxury?
Our primary aim is to make HIA the best
airport in the world. This can only be done
through the dedication and commitment
o airport users, be they airlines or employ-
ees, to making the passenger experience
as comortable and hassle-ree as possible.
We will continue to drive high operational
standards, high quality and great eciencyin the running o the airport and hope to re-
arm Dohas position as a premium global
hub with the opening o Hamad Interna-
tional Airport this year. There will be an
incredible number o great eatures within
the airport luxury lounges, a monorail
transport system within the terminal com-
plex, and ne nishes.
Doha International Airport claimed to
have the strongest trac in 2011, but
this year Dubai International has be-
come the third-busiest airport in theworld in terms o international passen-
ger numbers, according to the airports
gures. How do you are against the
competition?
From 17 million passengers in 2011, Doha
International Airport handled approxi-
mately 20 million passengers in 2012. In
2013, we are estimating the total number o
passengers to exceed 24 million. With the
dramatic growth o QA, Doha International
Airport is becoming too small to handle the
surge in air travel to and rom Qatar.
In line with the mission o QA to be theworlds best, our newest amily member,
HIA, is positioned as an international
icon that promises to make waves on the
global stage through its sheer size, master-
piece design and innovative eatures. The
preparations are well under way or the
April 1 opening.
How will you build the retail arm o the
HIA, what will be the ocus rom here
on?
HIA will have more than 40,000 square me-
tres o retail acilities and passenger loung-
es. QAs subsidiary Qatar Duty Free will bethe operator o the retail acilities, eaturing
exclusive branded boutiques and products
to cater or passengers rom all walks o
lie. It promises to be an unrivalled airport
shopping experience.
How well is Qatar Executive aring?
There have been allegations rom Rizon
Jet that QCAA is interering in its regu-
lar business, making it dicult or the
company to operate its services. What is
your reaction to that?
It is not our business to comment on
competitors. We operate in a competitive
business aviation environment with impres-
sive players across the region. Qatar Execu-
tive truly demonstrates that it is a cut abovethe rest with its superior in-ight experience
ofering.
As a person who has been instrumental
in steering QA to its heights, what are
your dreams about the company? What
were your biggest challenges?
I am never complacent and do not rest on
my laurels. I rmly believe in urther grow-
ing our international network and continu-
ing to provide our passengers with the best
levels o service and the best available in-
ight product that they so deserve.
QA is known or two key eatures: dy-namic growth and a constant ocus on top-
quality service, where the customer is at the
heart o everything we do. Listening to what
the customer wants and delivering it is our
top priority through good times and also
through challenging phases.
We have aced challenges in the orm
o rising uel costs and political unrest in
parts o the Middle East. But we remain
ocused on doing our job and rising to the
challenges.
Another big challenge we have been ac-
ing is that the current Doha InternationalAirport is running at ull capacity, unable
to withstand the airlines rapid growth. This
challenge is shortly going to be overcome
with the opening o HIA this year.
Do you ever relax, let your guard down?
And what is the one piece o advice that
you would give young Qataris looking to
move ahead in their careers?
I never let my guard down. I am a ocused
individual. I cannot stress enough the im-
portance that education plays in our lives,
which helps shape our uture.
Qatari youth should take pride in ourbeloved nation, which is why so much re-
source and aith is being put into the youth
o today as the leaders o tomorrow by many
Qatari organisations, including QA.
My advice is to make inormed deci-
sions about the type o career you want to
pursue. At QA we have a career path that
is second to none, with a record number o
150 places on ofer or Qatari graduates and
undergraduates in various capacities at the
national airline rom the beginning o the
2013 academic year.
our prImAry AIm Is to mAke HIA tHe
best AIrport In tHe world. tHIs cAnonly be done tHrougH tHe dedIcAtIon
And commItment of AIrport users,
be tHey AIrlInes or employees, to
mAkIng tHe pAssenger experIence
As comfortAble And HAssle-free As
possIble.
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The sky is The limiTCover sTory
dubai airports
always a step ahead
keep up with the ow o
tourists, Dubai Airports
announced last year that
HH Sheikh Mohammedbin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice-President and Prime Minister o the
UAE and Ruler o Dubai, has endorsed its
QR28.4 billion ($7.8 billion) airport and
airspace expansion programme, which will
boost capacity at Dubai International rom
60 million to 90 million passengers per year
by 2018.
The plan is designed to deliver aviation
inrastructure that will support the con-
tinuation o the sectors impressive growth,
acilitate Dubais economic expansion and
generate 22% o total employment and 32%o the emirates GDP by 2020. It is respond-
ing to a ten-year trac orecast or Dubai
International (DXB) and Dubai World Cen-
tral (DWC) that projects that international
passenger and cargo trac will increase at
an average annual rate o 7.2% and 6.7%
respectively.
Anita Mehra, Vice President o Market-
ing and Corporate Communications or
Dubai Airports, tells us how Dubai ies
so high.
How many passengers went through
Dubai Airport in 2012? How muchgrowth is this against previous years?
What percentage o these passengers
were in transit?
In 2012, Dubai International handled a to-
tal o 57.68 million passengers, an increase
o 13.2% rom 50.97 million in 2011. Tran-
sit passengers constituted 57% o the total
trac.
How many fights go in and out o Dubai
airport each week? How much growth
is this against previous years? What
percentage o these are with Emirates?
Total aircrat movements or 2012 reached
344,245 (an average o approximately
6,600 movements per week), up 5.5% rom
the 326,318 movements recorded in 2011.Emirates is the single largest contribu-
tor to activity at Dubai International and
accounts or approximately 60% o total
passenger trac.
Dubai International Airport is the third
busiest airport in the world. What has
propelled the airport to such a posi-
tion? How important is your geographi-
cal location, and what makes Dubais
airports stand out against others?
Dubais geo-centric location is a major ad-
vantage, and coupled with our aviation
model which is a direct result o the grand
vision o the political leadership and re-
volves around a liberal regulatory climate the key actors in our growth story are a
tax-ree business environment, a customer-
centric ocus that provides value or money,
and close coordination and collaboration
within the sector. Thanks to Dubais open
skies policy the airport is connected to 260
destinations across six continents, through
more than 140 airlines, and continues to
attract more carriers.
The combination o a successul tour-
ism industry, Dubais proximity to the
emerging economies o the East, and the
emirates established role as a trading hublinking economies in the Far East, Europe,
Arica and North America will drive growth
and urther consolidate Dubais status as a
global centre or trade, tourism and com-
merce. The success o Dubais agship car-
rier, Emirates, and the meteoric rise o our
low-cost carrier, Fly Dubai, will also remain
a major actor in our uture growth story.
Dubais progressive approach to aviation
is the key diference. The success is attrib-
uted to a model that is consensus-based,
highly competitive and consumer-centric.
This generates signicant economic bene-
ts or Dubai and the countries it connects.
How do you market the airport, with
Dohas Hamad International Airport
and Abu Dhabi International Airport in
close proximity?
We position Dubai International as a hub
that provides top airport inrastructure,
the highest connectivity or international
passengers, a competitive tax-ree environ-
ment, a 50-year track record o high trac
growth and a promising uture in terms o
the projected growth o the sector.
cynIcs Arent Impressed by dubAI AnnouncIng projects tHAt wIll eItHer be tHe worlds tAllest
or longest or one tHAt Is tHe fIrst ever buIlt, but tHe fAct Is tHAt wItH tourIsts pourIng Into
tHe country, tHe dubAI model does seem to be successful. dubAI AIrport HAs moved AHeAd of Hong
kong AIrport to become tHe tHIrd-busIest AIrport In tHe world, AccordIng to AIrports councIl
InternAtIonAl fIgures In 2012.
anita meHraviCe PresiDent, marketing anD
CorPorate CommuniCations,
Dubai airPorts
to
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Mar ch 20 13 | Qatar today 55
gulf air
flight plansAir, the
63-year-old
ormer ag
carrier o
Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) and Oman, has declined steadily
since three o its member states broke awayto establish independent carriers. Gul Air
has aced challenges in recent times, in
common with other global carriers, but it
says that combinations o unprecedented
regional and economic actors have made
business increasingly dicult.
Given this, Gul Air, its shareholder
Mumtalakat and the government, both
through the cabinet and parliament, are all
working towards a common goal - to secure
Gul Airs long-term sustainability and to
actively address the airlines loss-making
position.Just beore we went to print, Gul Air
sent another statement regarding the belt-
tightening measures adopted which stated:
Despite a dicult operating environ-
ment, restructuring measures have started
yielding results and the strategy remains
on track to achieve overall cost savings o
24% by the end o 2013. In January 2013,
through the implementation o prudent
cost saving measures and an aggressive e-
ciency drive, the airline reduced its overall
losses by over 34% compared with January
2012, posted a 9.6% increase in passenger
revenue against its budgeted revenue and,increased its yields by over 8%.
The airline also cut its expenditure
signicantly through reductions in air-
crat lease ees, ight-related charges
and staf expenses and the closure o our
loss-making routes.
Based on current progress and the esti-
mated orecasts, the restructuring plan is
on track to achieve its cost-savings target by
the end o 2013. Indications are also strong
that the revenue per available seat kilome-
tre (RSK) will achieve the targeted 9% in-
crease in 2013 through the establishment o
robust perormance rameworks designed
to deliver greater eciencies.
When asked about the strategic steps
taken by Gul Air to ensure it is competing
with the larger airlines in the region, Maher
Salman AlMusallam, Acting CEO, Gul Air
says, Gul Airs business model is difer-
ent rom that o the larger regional carri-
ers. As part o the current Gul Air restruc-
turing process, the airline is optimising its
eet and network by strengthening its core
services in the MENA markets and con-
centrating on high-demand and high-yieldpoint-to-point routes to connect Bahraini
businesses with regional markets.
As such, the airline operates one o the
largest networks in the Middle East and op-
erates ights to regional capitals including
Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Khartoum
and Sanaa. It also operates multiple daily
ights to its entire GCC network including
Kuwait, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat,
Jeddah, Riyadh, Medina and Dammam.
The airline is ocused on our key areas
eet, network, product and cost to ofer
passengers more value or money, a net-
work reecting customer demand as well
as new and improved products. In addition,
the airline is continuing to strengthen its
Middle East network, retaining Gul Airs
position as the largest regional network
carrier while connecting key global markets
with Bahrain, he says.
Gul Airs restructuring strategy is aimed
at taking the airline on a path towards
sustainability.
The main challenge or the airlines in the
next ve years, according to Maher Salman
AlMusallam, is uel prices, which contin-ue to be a major challenge or the entire
aviation industry.
Gul Air, like other airlines, is impacted
by the global economy in addition to the
growing competition both regionally and
globally, he says.
The optimised eet and network will see
Gul Air operating a mix o wide, and nar-
row body aircrat with one o the youngest
eets in the region (a little more than our
years) ofering best-in-class products and
services, he says.
wHIle Its two neIgHbourIng nAtIonAl cArrIers Are reApIng gold, bAHrAIns AIrlInes Are strugglIng.
bAHrAIn AIr tHe prIvAtely-owned low-cost cArrIer HAs sHut down cItIng polItIcAl unrest In tHe
IslAnd kIngdom to be tHe reAson.
maHer Salman almuSallamaCting Ceo, gul air
gulf
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The sky is The limiTCover sTory
flying digital
aviation industry is
a notoriously tough
business. Capital
outlay, repairs, tax-es, high uel costs,
regulations and competition all contrib-
ute to creating an expensive and challeng-
ing environment in which to operate. As a
result, history is lled with high-prole ex-
amples, rom Pan Am to Laker Airways, o
carriers who ultimately vanished rom our
departure boards.
Over the years, strategies to redress the
challenging economics o our skies have in-
cluded code-sharing, alliances and ull-on
mergers, such as the 2011 union between
Spanish national carrier Iberia and BritishAirways. Other solutions have been more
creative. American Airlines amously once
realised it could save QR218,400 a year by
removing the olive rom the salads they
served in First Class. As Southwest Airlines
Herb Kelleher once quipped: I the Wright
Brothers were alive today, Wilbur would
have to re Orville to reduce costs.
In the digital age these pre-existing -
nancial challenges are heightened by in-
creased consumer literacy. Many o us take
or granted online tools like price com-
parison websites or orums where we can
discuss and compare seat pitches, inightentertainment systems and ood options.
Yet a decade ago, these (now mainstream)
inormation outlets either didnt exist or
were still in their inancy. The explosion
o social networks and smartphones in the
last our to ve years has added a urther
inormation layer. The net efect is that the
average airline customer is now better in-
ormed, and better able to share their views
and experiences, than at any time since Kit-
ty Hawk took to the air in 1903.
Responding to this new age o connectiv-
ity is a challenge, not just or airlines but or
any customer-acing service organisation.
In 2010 RightNow, a cloud-based customer
service provider, commissioned a study
to investigate how social networks were
changing consumer expectations. Its report
showed that consumers increasingly expect
interaction via social channels and that the
social web is oten their rst port o call in
the event o a problem.
However, the study also ound that these
consumer expectations requently out-stripped businesses willingness, or ability,
to engage with these emerging channels. As
a result, companies increasingly risked los-
ing control o the conversation.
Clearly, this remains a risk. But writing
inAirline Passenger Experience in late 2011,
Shashank Nigam noted that whilst the so-
cial era may be rightening or an industry
that has traditionally held rm control over
marketing and operations, but it has also
given airlines the unique opportunity to
understand what drives customer actions
better than ever beore.
Subsequently, ater spending much o thepast decade on the digital back oot, many
airlines are going social harnessing net-
works like Facebook and Twitter, as well as
putting out e-mail newsletters to drive cus-
tomer loyalty, engage with new consumers,
and garner eedback rom service users.
The most obvious example o this sort
o digital activity has been the provision o
highly reactive customer support and time-
sensitive social-media-only deals.
But airlines are increasingly being
creative too.
In A HIgHly competItIve mArket, AIrlInes Are IncreAsIngly embrAcIng tecHnology As A meAns to
develop tHeIr brAnd And keep up wItH evolvIng consumer expectAtIons.
the
by daMian radcliffe
exampleS of local enGaGement via tHe two BiGGeSt Social networkS,s fby 19, 2013
twitter followerS faceBook likeS
Q ays63,288. upd: 8,466
@q706,454
es51, 142. upd: 402
@_e1,293,872
eh15,305. upd 4,215
@eda341,905
G a14,976. upd: 3,095
@ga51,012
fy db1,351. upd: 0 (s
c) @fd6,270
mAInstreAm pre-flIgHtconsumer tools we now tAkefor grAnted
b dc
d p
expd
Pc cp k
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d ,
sg
t ddcd
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-
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Mar ch 20 13 | Qatar today 57
Air New Zealands quirky in-ight
saety video, #richroll, has had nearly
2.8 million views on YouTube [http://
youtube/3iaTEgoezNQ], surely a somewhat
secondary audience, but one which projects
the image o the carrier as un and creative.
Watch it, and I dey you not to smile!On a simpler but promotionally no less e-
ective level, the Uruguayan carrier Pluna
Airlines ofers bonus requent yer points i
you share your booking details with riends
across a number o social networks. And
when Virgin America opened its new termi-
nal at San Francisco International Airport
it ran a virtual scavenger hunt, encouraging
participants to check in on Foursquare so
they could win online badges that could be
turned into real-world prizes.
In each o these instances the nancial
cost to the airline is pretty small. But by en-
couraging users to share their experiencewith their own social networks they are
able to enjoy a ar greater and potentially
more efective reach than through tradi-
tional digital marketing. Ater all, such so-
cial sharing is the new word o mouth. And
thats the most trusted advertising medium
there has ever been.
I some o these ideas seem like gim-
micks, its worth considering the size osome o these audiences. They may be
bigger and more inuential than you think.
Last October, when Emirates celebrated
its 27th birthday by launching an ocial
Google Plus account, it attracted nearly
100,000 ollowers in a week. At the same
time, a post on Emirates Facebook page an-
nouncing this new social channel received
10,000 likes in one day.Although Middle East based carriers like
Emirates are starting to really engage in
this space, theyre arguably still behind in
terms o the digital audiences enjoyed by
some o their US-based counterparts. Jet-
Blue, or example, currently has 1.7 million
Twitter ollowers, considerably more than
all the MENA carriers combined.
And or those who say that size isnt ev-
erything, its worth looking at American
Airlines. It has a smaller Twitter audience
than JetBlue and a number o other air-
lines, but it is very digitally engaged, having
sent 145,000 tweets to date. These guresdwar the level o activity (see chart below)
or carriers in our own region.
exAmples of dIgItAl experIenceswe now often tAke for grAnted
o cc-
Qr cd d cc
d p
i-f w- d cp
Pd -
c
e c c
socIAl network key
yt ti fa g p vk rr t wi sia wi
rAnk brAnd AggregAted net IncreAse tHIs weeekengAgement
Index
1 3 emirates 73,557 680 62,950 90,410 51%
2 1 british airways 97,164 3,058 16,912 36,518 4%
3 35 alitalia 356 38,901 100%
4 2 aZul 947 2,218 39.009 8,537 28%
5 2 klm 80,822 6,551 628 25,255 1,953 1,521 26%
6 1 air ranCe 21,160 808 23,609 2,213 24 %
7. . . .
0 turkish airlines
14,467 3,058 36,518
16,912 36,518 27%
8 . . . .0 lan airlines 835 35 22,627 30%
9 . . . .0 Delta airlines 24,328 2,539 22,979 7%
10 4 gol 3,524 954 4,631 8,733 6%
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The sky is The limiTCover sTory
Importantly, they use Twitter as a two-
way communication channel, not simply a
broadcasting mechanism (this is an impor-
tant characteristic o social media success).
Many o Americans tweets thereore are in
response to direct questions, complaints or
comments rom users.Jonathan Pierce, Americans Director o
Social Media Communications, recently re-
vealed that they receive 1,200 [mentions or
direct messages] every day, oten rom cus-
tomers in transit seeking a quick response
to a query. For these consumers social me-
dia is a helpline. And theyre more likely
to seek an answer via these channels than
through the airlines helpline. As a result,
American Airlines currently employs six
staf to look ater Twitter alone, with anoth-
er nine employees looking ater their other
social eeds. (And unlike many o their
competitors, these services are manned24/7, as bets the round-the-clock nature
o their business.)
So, what happens next? Evidence (see
graphic) suggests that social media spend-
ing is, in most cases, going to increase. For
most airlines, the digital case has been
made. And won.
The challenge now is to address key ques-
tions around resourcing, HR policy and
return on investment (ROI). Theres an
opportunity, too. I airlines have started to
get the benets o going digital in sup-
porting the pre-and post-ight experience,then surely the next step is to do so when
passengers are in-ight. This is particu-
larly the case as Wi-Fi becomes ever more
prevalent on board, creating opportunities
or enhanced customer engagement even
whilst the plane is in the air. So i a passen-
ger comments about an experience good or
bad on Facebook or Twitter, theres an op-
portunity to respond to it there and then.
Expect to see more o this sort o activity in
your social eeds in 2013.
That aside, the digital challenges the sec-
tor aces, as with the need to go social in
the rst place, will be amiliar to most man-agement teams, whatever their sector.
In terms o resourcing, there is a peren-
nial question o whether to set up dedicated
social media teams or to embed these skills
across diferent parts o the organisation.
Theres also the challenge o responding to
an ever-expanding range o digital outlets,
apps and devices. Engagement via channels
such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
may now be airly mainstream, but to what
extent should you also have a presence on
new platorms like Instagram, Google Plus
or Pinterest? Such engagement may well
gain you kudos with the digerati, but their
numbers are small compared with the big
three networks.
Whatever your digital battleground,
many o your staf will already be active on
these networks in their own right. So hav-
ing a social media policy or your workorcemay well be essential. Ater all, your em-
ployees can play a great role in developing
your brand and providing it with a human
ace. But they can also potentially damage
it. Witness the speed with which Tatiana
Kozlenko, a ight attendant with Russian
airline Aeroot, was sacked ater a photo
she posted o a staf member giving passen-
gers the nger went viral. This was not the
kind o image the airline wished to project.
And nally, underpinning all o this, is
the question o ROI. Does all o this digital
activity make a diference, or are consum-
ers still driven by the bottom line, with
brand loyalty all too quickly abandoned in
the ace o a good deal? ROI may not trans-
late to driving traditional income streams
(yet), but digital reach and engagement may
prevent them rom haemorrhaging.
Arguably the best way to see digital chan-nels is not as isolated services, but part o the
wider business plan. The CEO o the South
Arican carrier Mango Airlines recently at-
tributed 50% o its revenue growth to social
media, with its Bucket List campaign in
which consumers submitted their travel
wishlists being harnessed to add value to
its new tagline, Why not today?.
Its a good question. Whichever way you
look at it, the use o social media and digital
technologies by airlines looks like it is really
starting to take of
likely to inCrease
but amount
unknown
likely to inCrease
buDget by less than
25%
likely to inCrease
buDget by 25 %- 50%
no inCrease
likely to DeCrease
unsure
62.1%6.9%
6.9%
6.9%
13.8%
3.4%
plAns to IncreAse budget for socIAl medIA next yeAr
cAse In poInt
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