Cargo operations at new airport from December 1

DOHA: The new airport (Hamad International) will open only partially in January 2014 while its cargo terminal is set to begin operating from December 1, the transport minister said yesterday. 
More details about the ambitious project, including the formal opening date of the HIA's other facilities, will be announced on December 16 in a press meeting to be held at the new building of HIA, Minister of Transport H E Jassem Saif Al Sulaiti said here yesterday. Asked about the announcement of next opening date for the already delayed Hamad International Airport (HIA), he did not give any specific date. 
He said: “The airport will partially open in January 2014 and some test flights will take place during the same period.” 
The Minister of Transport H E Jassim Seif Ahmed Al Sulaiti was speaking on the sidelines of the opening of Qatar International Exhibition for Transport and Logistics (Trans4) being held at Doha International Exhibition Centre under the patronage of the Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani. 
On reasons for delays in opening the airport, he said: “It is a huge project (the airport) with many facilities. There were some issues the steering committee and other authorities are doing their best to address.” 
Asked about airlines which will be operating from the new cargo terminal, he said: “I do not have specific details with me now,” and advised this reporter to contact Qatar Airways. Manager, Corporate Communication — GCC and Middle East, Qatar Airways, Khaled Aylouch, said: “I do not have any information with me in this regard now.”
According to reports, with the opening of the new terminal, Qatar’s annual cargo handling capacity will nearly double from the current 0.8m tonnes to 1.4m tonnes. 
The Minister of Economy and Trade H E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammad Al Thani, CEO Qatar Rail, Saad Ahmad Al Mohannadi, and other dignitaries were also present. Al Sulaiti said Qatar will announce tenders for the construction of its rail project linking to the GCC network this month.
The engineering and design work for construction of $15.5bn integrated rail network linking the six Gulf States was scheduled to be completed by late 2013 or early 2014. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have begun construction.
The Peninsula