Qatar Airways arranges European relief flights from Oman to circumvent Doha ban

Airlines Qatar Airways Boeing 777 300ER
Joao Fachetti / Shutterstock.com

Qatar Airways has arranged a handful of repatriation flights to Europe from Oman, while Doha operations remain suspended due to the Qatari airspace closure.

Qatar Airways confirmed that relief flights had been scheduled from March 5, 2026, from Muscat International Airport (MCT) to London Heathrow (LHR), Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome, and Amsterdam.

The Qatar flag carrier added that a seventh repatriation flight would depart King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for Frankfurt.

According to Flightradar24, the flights to London-Heathrow and Berlin have already left Riyadh. The flights to Copenhagen, Madrid and Rome are scheduled to take off within the next few hours.

Both aircraft now flying to London and Berlin were diverted to Muscat on February 28, 2026, when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

Qatar Airways said it will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace by the relevant authorities.

Passengers have been told not to travel to either MCT or RUH unless they have received an official notification from Qatar Airways for these flights.

“We are working around the clock to organize additional relief flights where operationally possible and will share further updates as soon as they are confirmed,” said a spokesperson for Qatar Airways.

It would usually take around 10 and a half hours to drive from Doha to Muscat, however reports suggest the crossing into Oman is extremely busy so it could take much longer.

Oman airspace has remained open during the hostilities in region and has been used as a base for dozens of repatriation flights.

On March 5, 2026, Emirates also announced that with the limited re‑opening of UAE airspace, the airline is operating a reduced flight schedule until further notice.

Emirates listed around 80 destinations between March 5 and 6, 2026, that customers can book.

The Middle East and Gulf region have been thrown into turmoil since February 28, 2026, after US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered retaliation attacks against non-combatant countries in the area.

Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones against countries including Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Oman and Qatar, to sew chaos in the region.

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