The Hamad International Airport (HIA) Steering Committee has received bids for the project management consultancy (PMC) contract for the expansion of the main passenger terminal building at Hamad International airport.

MEED understands at least three teams submitted a bid for the contract. They are:

• Aecom (US)/Astad Engineering (local)
• Egis (France)/Jacobs Engineering (US)/SNC Lavalin (Faithful & Gould) (Canada)
• Hill International (US)/WSP (Canada)/Meinhardt (Singapore)

The planned expansion is expected to double the airport’s capacity to 60 million passengers a year by 2021.

Sources tell MEED they expect the client to tender the design and build contract for the airport expansion work “soon”.

Scope of works includes the construction of a new cargo terminal, and airside works that cover additional taxi and apron stands, in addition to the expansion of the main passenger terminal building.

MEED reported that the government approved the budget for the airport expansion in early 2017. The main terminal expansion will feature a new premium check-in area comprising 17 new counters served by a new access road and kerbside drop-off point to the east of the main terminal building. To the west, 47 new economy check-in counters will be built in addition to new baggage carousels.

The overall expansion plan for the airport comprises three main elements: the extension of the main terminal building; the construction of concourses D and E; and the connection with the Red Line of the Doha Metro.

Hamad International processed 120 million passengers from 2014 to 2017. It is understood the number of passengers fell by more than 30 per cent last year.

The airport opened in 2014, six years behind schedule.