Qatar shuts down airspace temporarily amid regional crisis

QATAR, June 23: Qatar said it has shut down airspace temporarily as part of measures taken amid developments in the region, a statement by the Qatari foreign ministry said on X.

It said the move comes to ensure safety of residents and visitors.

The shutdown of Qatari airspace comes as Iran repeated earlier threats to retaliate against the United States after strikes on its nuclear sites.

Earlier, Airlines on Monday were weighing how long to suspend Middle East flights as a conflict which has already cut off major flight routes entered a new phase after the U.S. attacked key Iranian nuclear sites and Iran vowed to defend itself.

Cancellations in recent days to typically resilient aviation hubs such as Dubai, the world’s busiest international airport, and Qatar’s Doha by international carriers show how aviation industry concerns about the region have escalated.

The usually busy airspace stretching from Iran and Iraq to the Mediterranean has been largely empty of commercial air traffic for 10 days since Israel began strikes on Iran on June 13, as airlines divert, cancel and delay flights through the region due to airspace closures and safety concerns.

Finnair was the first to announce a prolonged suspension of flights to Doha, with cancellations until June 30.

Leading Asian carrier Singapore Airlines, which described the situation as “fluid”, moved to cancel flights to Dubai through to Tuesday, having previously cancelled only its Sunday service.

Air France KLM, IAG-owned Iberia and British Airways, and Kazakhstan’s Air Astana all cancelled flights to either Doha or Dubai both on Sunday and Monday.

Air France also cancelled flights to Riyadh and said it would suspend flights to and from Beirut, Lebanon until Wednesday included.

A spokesperson for Iberia said the carrier has not made a decision regarding later flights. BA said its teams were keeping the situation under review.

Carriers are likely avoiding airports in UAE and Qatar and, to a lesser extent, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, due to concerns that Iran or its proxies will target drone or missile attacks on U.S. military bases in these countries, aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions said.

With Russian and Ukrainian airspace also closed to most airlines due to years of war, the Middle East had become a more important route for flights between Europe and Asia. Amid missile and air strikes during the past 10 days, airlines have routed north via the Caspian Sea or south via Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Added to increased fuel and crew costs from these long detours and cancellations, carriers also face a potential hike in jet fuel costs as oil prices rise following the U.S. attacks.

Australia-based Flight Centre Travel Group said it is getting a small number of customer requests to route journeys to Europe away from Middle Eastern hubs.