Qatar Airways leveraging new hub

QATAR Airways is banking on Doha's gleaming new airport, Hamad International (HIA), to bolster its network, even as elsewhere in the region the Gulf states are expanding capacity in ancitipation of further growth.

Covering 29 square kilometres, the US$15 billion HIA officially opened its doors last month - albeit after numerous delays - finally giving the capacity constrained Doha International a much needed breather.

Doha International had exceeded its 14 million annual passenger capacity by 2010, which often translated to flight delays and long queues for passengers. The airport, which served 23.3 million passengers last year, no longer operates commercial flights.