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In June, delegates arriving at the AGM of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the airline industry's biggest annual bash, were among the first passengers to experience Doha's new Hamad International Airport.
The glistening new gateway was not quite completed – screens had to be erected in lieu of a few finishing touches – but Qatar Airways nonetheless moved its entire operation to the hub on 27 May, five days before the world's airline bosses descended on the dusty, oil-rich Gulf state.
As one of three so-called Gulf super-connectors, Qatar Airways' selection to host the event was a symbolic reminder of the new dynamics sweeping across the industry...
