Modeling ground access mode choice behavior for Hamad International Airport in the 2022 FIFA World Cup city, Doha, Qatar

Abstract

The Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Doha, Qatar is the only international airport operating in the country. The airport was officially opened in 2014 to function as the engine of the country's economic growth. Due to the anticipated high passenger demand of this airport, especially to account for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and in support of Qatar National Vision (2030), it is important to analyze, model, and evaluate the current and future airport ground access and traveler's modal choice. As such, the aim of this study is to analyze the current HIA ground access mode choice characteristics and users, examine the importance of introducing the Doha Metro to airport mode choice, and identify the preference of air travelers for this new mode. A revealed- and stated preference face-to face interview survey was conducted at the airport to collect data related to trip and user characteristics. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. Binary logit mode was used to the current access mode choice, and a multinomial logit model was used to model the future access mode choice after introducing the Doha Metro. The models results showed that current and future access mode choice is significantly affected by the trip and socioeconomic characteristics of the HIA users.