Qatar Airways Flights Suspended as Middle East Conflict Forces Qatari Airspace Closure
Qatar Airways has fully suspended all flight operations to and from Doha following the closure of Qatari airspace, triggered by a sweeping regional conflict that erupted on Saturday, February 28, 2026 ET. The suspension affects tens of thousands of passengers globally and has no confirmed end time as of Monday, March 2, with the next official Qatar Airways update expected at 9:00 AM Doha time — 2:00 AM ET.
Qatar Airways Suspends All Doha Flights Amid Regional Crisis
Qatar Airways confirmed that all flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. The airline stated it will resume operations only once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of airspace.
Qatar Airways postponed the restart of operations at Hamad International Airport and confirmed the next update would come at 9:00 AM local time Monday, March 2, 2026. Flights at the airport remain cancelled, and a slow resumption in the evening hours appears unlikely based on current guidance.
What Triggered the Qatar Airways Shutdown
A wave of United States and Israeli strikes on Iran, and retaliatory attacks by Tehran on targets across the region, forced much of the Middle East's airspace to shut down. At least eight states declared their airspace closed, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed all Israeli and US military targets in the Middle East had been struck. Qatar was among the Gulf states targeted, with explosions reported in Doha. Qatar's foreign ministry strongly condemned Iran for launching missiles at Qatari territory, calling it a violation of Qatar's sovereignty.
Qatar Airways Among Dozens of Airlines Hit Globally
The conflict led to the cancellation of more than 1,800 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines. Of around 4,218 flights scheduled to land in Middle Eastern countries on Saturday, nearly 23 percent were cancelled. Qatar Airways suspended all flights from Doha, with 41 percent of all its scheduled flights cancelled on the day.
Other major airlines that cancelled or suspended flights include Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, Air India, and Turkish Airlines. Lufthansa announced the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, and Tehran through at least March 7.
Scale of Aviation Disruption Across the Middle East
The three major Gulf airlines — Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways — typically carry approximately 90,000 passengers per day through their respective hubs. The closures of Hamad International Airport in Doha, Dubai International Airport, and Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport effectively paralyzed an entire global aviation corridor linking Europe, the Gulf, and Asia.
Qatar's total airspace closure was set to expire at 4:00 AM UTC on March 2, though Iran's airspace remains closed through at least 8:30 AM UTC on March 3. Further extensions are possible as the conflict continues to evolve.
