Hamad Int'l Airport (NDIA) to open completely on May 27, 2014
 

According to Mr. Al Baker, as quoted in the local paper.

We all suspected that the opening would be delayed slightly, but I am surprised that it's this much. This is bad news; I wouldn't be shocked if this means 2014.

Maybe Klaus Wowereit (mayor of Berlin) is involved in this project too.

;) ;)

Haha, Berlin is poor but sexy.

Doha is completely the opposite.

Seriously I've been waiting for NDIA for ages. This is really quite annoying. With all the money they have and the highest ratio of foreign workers per citizen in their world, you would think they would have gotten this completed long ago.

Perhaps they took some of the workers to build stadiums?

The contractor of the 17 lounges in NDIA was dismissed and the contract terminated due to alleged non-performance. The contractor was Depa which is a major contracting company based in Dubai that specialized in hospitality projects such as hotels.

To give you and idea on how luxurious the lounges in NDIA will be the contract was worth US$ 250,000,000 to outfit the 17 lounges.

That is the main cause of the delay as the lounges will not be ready by 12.12.12

Found an article about the contract termination.

http://www.thebigprojectme.com/2012/...ct-terminated/

$250m for 17 lounges sounds like some will be truly stellar.

How's the traffic like in DOH currently like? And how is the main terminal too? lol

Just passed through the main terminal on my way to Joburg and I find it to be i a sad state. The ground floor is just about all tax-free, which is too cramped to move around in with the small trolleys, and the 1st floor is where you have most of the gates. The various lounges are also there, and I would be extremely upset if I flew in any premium class with another carrier than QR and was stuck in the Oryx Lounge, because that is a lounge in desperate need of a change in management. The food is lackluster to say the least. I got in there at 18 and all I could get was some lentil soup, tabouleh, hummus, flat bread and a few other sandwiches. Internet is free and there is a shower, albeit it is not serviced like they should be. I think they really should have upgraded the lounges at DOH a long time ago even if the plans for a new airport had been made. As I see it now they stopped caring about both the airport and the lounge because all time and energy has gone into NDIA. And now that one is delayed.. Great.

Wow, the gold lounge before oryx upgrade was much worse. Lol.

If not for the lounge access I think it would be completely unbearable to fly QR Y. Especially if you had a long transit.

I believe Oryx lounge was renovated (at least partly) recently.

If it was renovated they can only have renovated the general facilities like the chairs and couches. They are fine I guess for a few hours, but what I dislike the most are the offerings. The food is crappy to be honest, and that is me using mild language. I repeat myself by saying if I paid GBP 2000 for a biz class ticket on, sa BA, and that's food I got at the Lounge, I think disappointed would be putting it mildly.

Expanded is a better word than renovated. The existing facilities don't seem to have changed at all.

Now scheduled to (partially) open on April 1, 2013
 

. . . to LCCs (I guess flydubai, Air Arabia, Bahrain Air, etc.), since they don't need the lounges that are delayed:

http://www.gulf-times.com/ArticleDet...on%20April%201

Go ahead and cue the "April Fool's" jokes. . .

Just a reminder...

http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/ne...0429082239303/

Back in 2004 Al Baker promissed opening in 2008.... at a cost of $2 billion. And we are in 2013 at a cost of $17,5 billion and still waiting! Thats what i call goooood project management.

Should we run a contest on who gets the closest to guessing the actual opening date for commercial passengers?

We will need to define "opening" means

They were suppose to open the new doha airport on the 12th Of December 2012(12-12-12) its now likely to be on 13-13-2013 :D

12 or 13 carriers (mainly low cost and non connecting/non affiliated airlines) will be moved to NDIA w/e from April (e.g. Fly Dubai, PIA, MEA etc).