Hamad International Airport (HIA), the State of Qatar’s brand new airport is carrying out series of advanced passenger trials. According to a press release from Qatar Airways Group, the trials are carried out in preparation for the soft opening of the airport on 1st April 2013. More than 1,000 men, women and children have gone through the trials to test the operations of passenger facilities from check-in and immigration to aircraft boarding and arrivals, says the release.

Over the next few weeks, a further 2,500 people will go through trials to ensure a smooth operations of flights from the current Doha International Airport (DIA) to Hamad International Airport. Ten airlines will begin their operations from Hamad International Airport on 1st April 2013, while Qatar Airways, the main user of the facility, will switch its entire operations from DIA to HIA by the end of the year.