Qatar Airways faces major disruptions due to temporary Qatari airspace closure

Tensions in the Middle East have led to significant disruptions for Qatar Airways, following a temporary closure of Qatari airspace. The closure was prompted by regional security concerns after recent US strikes on Iran and anticipated retaliatory actions. Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the airspace shutdown on Monday evening, affecting operations at Doha Hamad International Airport.

Qatar Airways, headquartered in Doha, faced substantial operational challenges as flights were forced to divert to alternative airports across Europe, Asia, the US, Australia, and the Gulf region. Regional flights were mostly canceled while long-haul services were rerouted. Flight QR330 from London was among the first affected, diverting to Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

The diversions saw Istanbul Airport and Jeddah receiving nine redirected flights each. Other key diversion points included Muscat International Airport with eight diversions and Medina with seven. In India, Kempegowda International in Bengaluru handled five diverted flights.