Gulf air travel disruption as nations boycott Qatar
A political spat engulfing the Middle East could have major consequences for travellers with big disruption for air travel.
At the centre is Qatar which has been hit by boycotts banning Qatari airlines from neighbouring countries’ airspace and abruptly cancelling flights to the country.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have severed ties and cancelled all flights to Qatar after accusations it is supporting terrorism.
Egypt and the UAE’s Etihad and Emirates have suspended flights to and from Doha ‘until further notice.’
"There is a wider impact than Qatar Airways not being able to land in markets like Saudi and UAE since those markets are significant sources for transfer traffic," said Will Horton, analyst at CAPA Centre for Aviation
"A Riyadh passenger may not be able to connect to Bangkok via Doha and a Dubai passenger could not get to London via Doha."
Analysts warn of air travel disruption across the region including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and possibly further afield.
"Airspace will be impacted by flights being re-routed, especially for Qatar Airways who will no longer be allowed to use the expansive airspace of Saudi Arabia on flights to Europe and North America," said Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research.
"Equally, the litany of narrowbody jets that Qatar Airways has to park which can’t be used for intra-GCC flights will hit operations at Doha since ramp space will be at a premium – this could lead to flight delays and incur more costs."
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive