Qatar Airways, which is the operator of the airport, is planning a phased expansion of the existing facility. The first, known as phase 2, will cost $150 million and be implemented in the second half of the year. It will involve increasing capacity of the arrivals terminal to 6 million passengers a year from 3.5 million and the construction of five additional bays, two hangars and a covered car park to accommodate 2,000 vehicles.

The third-phase expansion will cost $50 million and involve the construction of a further five bays, taking the total up to 29.

Since taking over responsibility for the existing airport last year, Qatar Airways has been investing in upgrading the arrivals baggage handling area, the cargo terminal and a technical building (MEED 22:11:02).

The NDIA committee is understood to be reviewing the terms of reference for the new airport project, which originally called for the construction of a new 12 million-passenger-a-year facility to the east of Doha International Airport. The four groups competing for the consultancy contract were US-based Bechtel, Aeroports de Paris, Denmark's COWIand a group made up of NACOof the Netherlands, the US' CH2M Hilland DHV International (UK).