Qatar will allocate an additional $2bn to completing the construction of the New Doha International airport (NDIA), Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar al-Baker has announced.

“The ultimate phase of the airport is estimated to cost another $2bn over the $15.5bn [currently allocated],” Al-Baker, who is also a member of the steering committee overseeing the airport’s development, told Reuters.

The original budget allocated to NDIA’s development was $14.5bn, but this figure was subsequently increased by $1bn to accommodate a projected rise in passengers using the airport.

NDIA is scheduled to open in December.