Qatar FIFA World Cup’s Success Dependent on the Success of Aviation
QAT – The 2023 FIFA World Cup final match in Qatar ended with an intense penalty shootout, and Argentina ultimately won. Qatar has become the first Middle Eastern nation to host the football world’s premier tournament. The World Cup, as previously reported by APN News, presented some challenges for private aircraft operators and attendees due to logistics and cultural expectations. No parking was permitted at either of the main airports for Qatar, and crews did not have hotel access unless they had a ticket to the World Cup.
Aviation’s relationship with the game is a topic not discussed as part of the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup’s success is highly dependent on the success of aviation, from bringing in the teams, diplomats, and high-profile attendees. The teams generally charter large-body aircraft to take them to the World Cup. The organizers of the World Cup committed to reducing and offsetting all carbon emissions for the 2022 World Cup to make it the first carbon-neutral tournament. Travel accounts for over 50% of total emissions at the World Cup, most of which is attributed to flights.
There was a lot of preparation to ensure that Qatar could meet the capacity needs of hosting the FIFA World Cup. The original estimate, according to the Qatar Company for Airports Operation and Management (MATAR), was a rise of 50% in traffic flow for the event. MATAR expanded the main passenger terminal at Hamad International Airport (DOH), which was completed barely in time for the start of the tournament. Doha International (DIA) was the second airport to receive most non-regular flights to Qatar. Many of the Gulf airlines, including Emirates, flydubai, Etihad Airways, Oman Air, Kuwait Airways, Air Arabia, and Saudi Arabian Airlines, were operating over 180 daily shuttles from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf Coast countries during the tournament due to the limited accommodations in Qatar.
Private jet operators reported a massive surge in demand for flights to Doha despite the rise in operating costs caused by the high number of aircraft flying in and out of Doha. For example, Dubai-based Vista Global Holdings experienced a huge uptick in demand during the tournament’s group stages and around the opening ceremony. They operated approximately 4-5 flights per day for VIPs, dignitaries, and football fans.
Dubai’s Blue Dot Charter Services had to add an additional aircraft to their fleet to meet the demand from fans after the knockout phase. In addition, there were restrictions put in place to manage the expected demand for landing slots from private jets. Private jets had to depart within one hour of landing, and no longer-term parking was permitted. Blue Dot said the high demand for landing slots, coupled with the surge in traffic from the shuttle services, had driven up operating costs for private jet companies flying to and from Doha. Ground handling charges were very high, and the operational cost increased 3x. Another challenge was the lack of alternative airports in Qatar, which makes the logistics of private jet travel for the tournament a bit more difficult than other tournaments, such as the Super Bowl.
Due to the limitations of traveling directly into Qatar for the World Cup, Dubai became a hub for private jet setters. In anticipation of the high demand, Jetex transformed its VIP terminal at Dubai World Central into a fan zone decked up with a mini-indoor football pitch and several other game-related paraphernalia. Overall, Qatar saw a 400% year-on-year increase during December, according to WingX.
The final match had a huge demand for private jet travel, with a large number of VIPs, dignitaries, and football fans traveling to the match via private jet.
The next World Cup will come to North America, with many host cities across Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Officials are already underway in preparation for the World Cup in the next four years, hoping that Advanced Air Mobility will play a role in air travel by then.