Hamad Airport to add services for fliers with special needs

DOHA: Hamad International Airport (HIA) has entered into a partnership with ‘Shafallah Center’, one of Qatar Foundation for Social Work’s (QFSW) affiliated centres, to provide additional services to passengers with special needs, with a focus on passengers with autism.

Both parties formalised their partnership yesterday, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Eng. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA, and Amal Abdullatif Al Mannai, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Foundation Social for Work & Acting Chief Executive Officer at Shafallah Center.

As part of the MoU, HIA will soon add a special handling lounge in the terminal for passengers with special needs, including autistic passengers. Shafallah Center will be overseeing the setup of the lounge to ensure the comfort and convenience of said passengers.

The lounge will feature certain aspects of a sensory room, which is a specially designed space used for the therapy for children with limited communication skills, including electronic carpets, which allow children to play games and activities.

Eng. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA; and Amal Abdullatif Al Mannai, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Foundation for Social Work & Acting Chief Executive Officer at Shafallah Center, with other officials during the signing of the MoU. 
Shafallah Center will also provide specialised training for ground handling staff at HIA on how to provide special care and assistance to passengers with special needs including those with autism.

Amal Abdullatif Al Mannai, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Foundation for Social Work and Acting Chief Executive Officer at Shafallah Center, said:  “The signing of this important MoU marks HIA & Shafalah Center’s keenness on providing the best services and experience to the community we serve.

“With joint effort and working with the best international practices, we are providing HIA passengers with a very unique and dedicated lounge to persons with intellectual disabilities and autism”.

Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport said: “At HIA, we are continuously looking for ways to improve the travel experience for our passengers with special needs. It is a priority for us that all our customers have the same level of satisfaction when it comes to experiencing HIA’s services and facilities.

“We are grateful and happy to have the expertise of the specialists at Shafallah to guide us through our process of making HIA a special needs friendly airport.”

HIA offers barrier free access and dedicated facilities to make travelling more comfortable for passengers who require special assistance. HIA’s network of elevators, escalators, ramps, walkways and passenger train offer simple access to Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRM).