Qatar on Thursday opened a huge expansion of its main international airport, just 10 days from the start of the World Cup, which is expected to draw more than one million visitors to the Gulf state.

After the multi-billion dollar overhaul, Hamad International Airport will take its capacity from 40 million passengers a year to 58 million, Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker told a news conference. The expansion adds 39 airport gates to the existing 140 at the airport, which is a major hub for transit passengers.

Qatar Airways has also eliminated 18 destinations from its schedule to increase flights from key World Cup markets and to allow other airlines to run football charters.