Hamad International Airport in Qatar has handled more than one million tonnes of cargo in its first year.

According to the airport, this represents a 12 per cent increase on tonnage handled annually at Doha International Airport, Qatar Airway’s previous hub. The airport’s cargo building covers 55,000 square metres. It is self-contained, with 11 widebody aircraft stands and 42 loading docks, and has the capacity to handle 1.4 million tonnes per year, a 75 per cent increase on its predecessor.

The first Qatar Airways shipment, from Qatar Petroleum, was received at Hamad on 1 December 2013. Airports Council International Asia Pacific figures published last month show that Hamad was one of the few airports in the region to show significant growth.

Volumes were up by 14.7 per cent year on year, the best performance in the Middle East. “Our future development strategy will focus on increased capacity and additional facilities,” says the airport’s chief operating officer, Badr Mohammed Al Meer. “We have created processes and management structures to manage and deliver our multi-million dollar future investment programmes strategically.”