With over three million tickets sold for the international event taking place in Qatar next month, air carriers carrying soccer fans there should have backup routes in case of delays or regional tensions, according to travel and risk consultants.
To accommodate the expected rush, Qatar Airways is trying to increase its workforce by 10,000 to more than 55,000 and has canceled flights to make room for World Cup fans.
Qatar's civil aviation regulator predicts between 3.5 million and 4.1 million passengers will arrive, depart, and transit Qatar in November. Ticket sales for the championship tournament, which takes place from November 20 to December 18, are almost at three million.
"Air traffic management is expected to proceed as normal during the World Cup, which in recent years has avoided Yemeni airspace and other areas where safety cannot be guaranteed," said official.
"We've had a number of clients that have asked for alternate routings," said Henry Duke LeDuc, strategic development officer at global trip support firm UAS, during a show panel on the World Cup.
