Qatar Airways issued a holding advisory to passengers Sunday, confirming all services remain grounded and directing travellers to check for updates no earlier than 09:00 Doha time on March 2 — the third consecutive day the airline has been unable to operate out of its home hub.
The carrier said it “will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace,” offering no indication of when that clearance might come. Passengers holding tickets were told they could claim a full refund or rebook within a seven-day window dating back to February 28, when the suspension first took effect.
At Hamad International Airport, the airline said it had positioned additional ground staff to work through the backlog of stranded travellers, with hotel accommodation being arranged for those unable to leave. Once the airspace does reopen, the airline cautioned that delays should be expected as it works to restore a schedule built around one of the world’s busiest long-haul hubs.
The closure stems directly from Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Gulf states housing U.S. military forces, launched after American and Israeli aircraft killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the weekend. Qatar hosts Al Udeid Air Base, the largest American military installation in the region, placing Doha among Iran’s stated targets. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it struck 27 U.S. bases across the Middle East in the operation.
Qatar Airways is not alone in its grounding. Cirium flight data showed 1,579 regional cancellations on Sunday alone. Emirates shut down Dubai entirely. Etihad halted Abu Dhabi services. Turkish Airlines pulled routes across the Gulf, the Levant, and Iran. Air France suspended Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh. At least 145 aircraft already in the air were forced to divert to Athens, Istanbul, and Rome after airspace closures were declared mid-flight.
The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority has given no public timeline for when it will reopen the country’s skies.
