Doha. The New Doha International Airport (NDIA) will handle 25 million passengers a year when its first two phases are commissioned by end-2011, and a staggering 50 million passengers when its third phase is completed later.

The Peninsula newspaper quoted Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCA), Abdul Aziz Al Nuaimi as also saying that “when all the three phases of the NDIA are ready, 50,000 jobs will be created.” These jobs would be administrative, managerial and operational in nature.

The airport will be picturesque, aside from being really huge, as it will be surrounded by five artificial islands. It will have as many as 175 checkin counters, among other passenger handling facilities.

One of the first airports to be designed with the new Airbus A-380 in mind, the new airport will be the new home base for the Qatar Airways fleet when it replaces the existing Doha International Airport, he said.