Qatar Airways launches relief flights from Muscat, Riyadh amid Gulf airspace closures

Qatar Airways will operate a limited number of relief flights from Muscat and Riyadh on Thursday to assist passengers stranded due to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

The airline said the temporary operations were arranged as Qatar’s airspace remains closed. Authorities are expected to issue the next update on the possible reopening of the airspace at 9am local time on Friday.

Flights departing from Muscat, the capital of Oman located about a 10-hour drive from Doha, will connect passengers to destinations including London Heathrow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam.

Additional relief flights are also planned from Riyadh, with services scheduled to operate to Frankfurt. Riyadh is located around a seven-hour drive from Doha.

The airline said it will contact affected passengers directly with flight details and advised travellers not to go to airports unless notified. Customers were also asked to ensure their contact information is updated through the airline’s website or mobile application.

Other airlines have also introduced special arrangements for stranded passengers across the Gulf region.

British Airways has begun operating special flights from Muscat for passengers with existing bookings who are currently in the United Arab Emirates or Oman. Flights scheduled for March 5, 6 and 7 have already reached full capacity.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have also operated exceptional flights to facilitate departures for stranded travellers. According to the country’s aviation regulator, about 17,500 passengers left the UAE on 60 special flights between March 2 and March 3.

Meanwhile, Etihad Airways said its scheduled operations remain suspended until 6am local time on March 6, while Emirates has extended its suspension until March 7.

Some carriers have begun restoring limited operations. Virgin Atlantic resumed scheduled flights between Dubai and London Heathrow on March 4. Other airlines that have partially resumed services include flydubai, Air India and Russia’s S7 Airlines.