QATAR has partially reopened its airspace days after Iranian missile and drone strikes forced the country to ground all flights as a United States-Israeli military campaign against Iran continues into its seventh day.
The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announced the limited opening on Friday evening, saying flights would operate through “designated navigational contingency routes with limited operational capacity” in coordination with the Qatari armed forces.
The move marks a cautious first step towards restoring air links to one of the Gulf’s most important aviation hubs but falls well short of a return to normality, with scheduled commercial flights to and from Doha remaining suspended until a further official announcement is made.
The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority said the partial reopening covers only a narrow category of flights “designated for passenger evacuation” and air cargo services.
Passengers with confirmed bookings were urged to follow updates from their airlines directly before travelling to the airport.
Early on Saturday, Qatar Airways said it “intends to operate repatriation flights on 07 March, departing Hamad International Airport to the following airports: London (LHR), Paris (CDG), Madrid (MAD), Rome (FCO), Frankfurt (FRA)”.
It added that priority would be given to “stranded passengers with families, elderly passengers, and those with urgent medical and compassionate travel needs”.
Qatar initially closed its airspace on February 28, citing “precautionary measures” taken in response to “the latest developments in the region” and a need to guarantee “the highest levels of safety and security for all flights”.
The Gulf country has been repeatedly struck by Iranian missiles and drones throughout the now seven-day conflict, forcing the country to activate its air force and use interceptors to defend its territory. Qatar’s Ministry of Defence confirmed the country had been struck by 14 ballistic missiles and four drones fired from Iran on Thursday.
More than 2,000 flights have been cancelled at Doha’s Hamad international airport since the conflict began.
Across the Gulf, airports and airlines have been scrambling to manage the fallout from nearly a week of Iranian missile and drone barrages, launched in retaliation for the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign – codenamed Operation Epic Fury – which has killed at least 1,332 people in Iran since strikes began last Saturday, according to Iranian officials.
Emirates airline announced it is operating a reduced schedule while working to restore full network operations, carrying approximately 30,000 passengers out of Dubai on Friday alone.
By Saturday, the airline said it would have 106 daily return flights operating to 83 destinations, close to 60 percent of its full network, with a return to 100 percent expected “within the coming days, subject to airspace availability”.
Dubai international airport, the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, was evacuated on Sunday following Iranian strikes and has recorded close to 4,000 flight cancellations since Monday.
Abu Dhabi’s Zayed international airport has seen more than 1,000 cancellations and continues to operate at limited capacity.
Kuwait, also impacted by Iranian strikes, saw its airport undergo sustained physical damage in drone strikes, leaving some workers with minor injuries, and its airspace remains fully closed to commercial traffic.
Kuwait Airways has begun rerouting citizens with prior bookings through Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
An estimated 23,000 flights have been cancelled since late February, according to analytics firm Cirium.