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Qatar Airways Dedicates Song to Fans and Unveils Fun-Filled Experiences to Help Passengers of Every Airline Departing During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

‎ 17 November 2022

Qatar Airways is setting a new standard for global travel at major sporting events with the launch of two dedicated Passenger Overflow Areas at Hamad International Airport and Doha International Airport.

To mark the opening, a new Qatar Airways FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ anthem featuring celebrated international artists, Cheb Khaled and DJ Rodge, has been released on the airline’s official YouTube channel.

DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways announces that all passengers flying through Hamad International Airport (HIA) and Doha International Airport (DIA) until 31 December can experience complimentary and entertaining pre-departure waiting areas, setting a new standard of excellence for international travel at sporting events.

Named Passenger Overflow Areas (POAs), each has been built to provide fans with dedicated facilities, to complete their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ journey. At both POAs, passengers can safely stow baggage, enjoy a taste of the best international cuisine or relax in comfort and style while soaking up a football themed atmosphere. In addition, the larger of the two overflow areas, at HIA, includes a virtual reality gaming zone - a world first. There are also soft play areas for children and huge screens to show football highlights.

To coincide with the opening, a Qatar Airways FIFA World Cup™ anthem recorded by internationally acclaimed singer Cheb Khaled and superstar DJ Rodge called “C.H.A.M.P.I.O.N.S.” has been released on the airline’s official YouTube channel and will be played onboard flights arriving in Qatar. The uplifting lyrics are sung in English, French and Arabic and its catchy melody reflects the passion of all fans uniting across the globe in this shared experience.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, stated: “Qatar Airways is all about offering global passengers the best experiences the industry has to offer. Passenger Overflow Areas will accommodate thousands of fans at any given time at our world class airports. We’re dedicating the song “C.H.A.M.P.I.O.N.S.” to those fans and to people everywhere which we think captures the excitement that FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ represents to this country and region.”

HIA’s Chief Operations Officer Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, said: “The commencement of the passenger overflow area at both HIA and DIA will offer our visitors a remarkable chance to experience the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ at dedicated premises. Curated for all departing passengers, the overflow area is part of MATAR’s initial airport operations plan set to improve overall flow at both airports and accommodate thousands of visitors at any given time throughout the tournament.”

The spaces are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and accessible via designated POA shuttles, which will be available from the airports and metro to seamlessly transfer passengers. Travellers can check-in online and come to these spaces between eight and four hours prior to departure.

HIA ranked “Best Airport in the World” for the second year in a row by SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2022, is preparing to welcome 58 million passengers annually. A stunning expansion was recently unveiled featuring a 10,000-sqm, lush, tropical indoor garden named “The Orchard.” Drenched in natural light and featuring sustainably sourced plants and shrubs, it offers a show-stopping, luxury shopping experience to passengers with many first-of-a-kind retail outlets.

Fans travelling to the world’s greatest football show can find more information about the journey and the specially themed services on offer by reading the Qatar Airways travel guide:

https://www.qatarairways.com/en/FIFA-world-cup/travel-guide.html

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was recently announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2022 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence having won the main prize for an unprecedented seventh time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022), while also being named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Lounge Dining’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’.

Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, currently named the ‘Best Airport in the World” by Skytrax World Airport Awards 2022.

About Qatar Airways

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways continues to be synonymous with excellence, receiving for the 13th time Skytrax’s ‘World’s Best Business Class’ award, and the ‘World's Best Business Class Airline Lounge’ for the eighth time. As the leading connector in the region, Qatar Airways is now the 14-time winner of the ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ award. The airline has advanced its services across the Middle East this winter season, increasing its daily flights by 14 per cent.

Along with continuing to retain its 5-Star Airline Rating, Qatar Airways has received a global-first recognition of the ‘World’s Best Onboard Wi-Fi’ by Skytrax this year. The accolade recognises Qatar Airways’ Starlink connectivity rollout on over 150 widebody aircraft, connecting more than 25 million passengers to date with up to 340 daily Starlink-enabled flights. Globally, Qatar Airways remains the unprecedented nine-time winner of Skytrax ‘World’s Best Airline’ title.

This winter, Qatar Airways will fly to over 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport. The airport has been previously recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for 11 consecutive years, as well as ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’ for the third year in a row by Skytrax. Hamad International Airport has previously been named the ‘World’s Best Airport’ by Skytrax three out of the past six years.

Qatar Airways received the 2025 Platinum performance recognition by Cirium, the leading aviation analytics organisation, for its reliability and operational performance. The recognition is a testament to the airline’s unwavering commitment to providing seamless and proven operations as part of its award-winning passenger experience.

Qatar Airways was the first Airline in the Middle East to be certified to the highest level of IATA’s Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, based on recognised environmental management system principles, including the ISO 14001. As an inaugural signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration in March 2016, Qatar Airways became the first airline globally to be certified to the industry standard for the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking in aviation.

For further information, visit qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways mobile app.

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