Flights leaving and flying to the Qatari capital of Doha have been disrupted by the diplomatic rift between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have all closed their airspace to Qatar Airways flights. The Qatari airline is forced to fly around these airspaces, making for longer flights.
Meanwhile, several airlines have stopped flying to Doha, a major international transportation hub. Etihad, Emirates, Saudi Arabian Airlines, flydubai and Air Arabia have all cancelled their flights to the Hamad International airport, one of the biggest airports in the Gulf region. Qatar Airways offices in Saudi Arabia have been closed and the Qatari national airline no longer flies to the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
The airspace controversy is part of a bigger diplomatic dispute between Qatar and several other nations. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and the Maldives have all cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, claiming that Qatar works to support “terrorism” and to meddle in the internal affairs of its fellow members in the GCC – something Qatar vehemently denies.
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