Business Travel Alert: Flights To & From Doha Suspended Amid Regional Tensions- Valutrics
All major UAE airlines—including Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia—have suspended flights to and from Doha starting Tuesday morning, after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.
Etihad Airways said that it will suspend all flights to and from Doha until further notice, from the morning of June 6, in a statement.
The last flight from Abu Dhabi to Doha will depart as at 02:45 (local time) on June 6 while the last flight from Doha to Abu Dhabi will depart at 04:00 (local time) June 6, it said.
“All customers who are booked on Etihad Airways flights to and from Doha are being provided with alternative options, including full refunds on unused tickets and free rebooking to the nearest alternate Etihad Airways destinations,” the airline said.
Dubai airline Emirates said as instructed by the UAE government, it too will suspend its flights to and from Doha, starting from the morning of 6 June 2017, until further notice.
The last flight from Dubai to Doha will depart at 2.30am on June 6 while the last flight from Doha to Dubai will depart at 3.50am on June 6, it said.
Travelers bound for Doha, who are boarding their flight from airports in the Emirates network on June 5, will be advised to make alternative arrangements, the airline said.
All customers booked on Emirates’ flights to and from Doha will be provided with alternative options, including full refunds on unused tickets and free rebooking to the nearest alternative Emirates destinations, it said.
Dubai carrier flydubai and Sharjah-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia also said that all flights to and from Doha would be suspended from Tuesday.
Saudia, the flagship carrier of the Saudi kingdom, has announced that it to will cease flights between Doha and Saudi airports.
In retaliation, Qatar Airways too announced that it was ceasing all flights to Saudi Arabia beginning 3 am on June 6.
Diplomatic Spat
On Monday, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt severed their ties with Qatar, accusing the GCC state of supporting terrorism.
The move has escalated a dispute among GCC countries over Qatar’s support of the Muslim Brotherhood, the world’s oldest Islamist movement, and adds accusations that Doha even backs the agenda of regional arch-rival Iran.
The countries said they planned to break off all land, air and sea traffic with Qatar, and eject its diplomats from their territories.
The countries also stated that they mandated their citizens to leave Qatar, which was also expelled from a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.