Qatar Closes Its Airspace (Doha Bound Flights Diverted)

The State of Qatar announced early evening on Monday that the country’s airspace would be temporarily closed as a precautionary measure.

This means that aircraft cannot land, take off, or use the country’s airspace for navigation (fly through), which further complicates aircraft movements in the Middle East.

UPDATE 2: The country’s airspace reopened around 1:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday morning after being closed from approximately 5:40 p.m. on Monday. Qatar Airways has resumed operations but expect significant delays.  

The flights currently en route to Doha either return to their origin or are diverted to alternative airports. Departing flights are on hold until the country’s airspace is again open.

Passengers departing from EU/EEA/UK are covered by EC 261/2004 and UK261 also in the case of a situation like this.

The airline, in this instance, most likely Qatar Airways, is required to provide Duty to Care, i.e., accommodation and meals in the event of delays, cancellations, and diversions.

The airline is also required to rebook affected passengers to their final destination using other airlines if necessary.

There is no cash compensation for delays, as this airspace closure is beyond the airline’s control.

UPDATE 1: Qatar Airways Announcement

Update 2: Qatar Airways Update

Qatar Foreign Ministry’s Tweet:

Translation to English:

State of Qatar – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The relevant Qatari authorities announce the temporary suspension of air navigation in the country’s airspace out of concern for the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors

Doha, June 23, 2025

As part of the State of Qatar’s commitment to the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors, the relevant authorities have announced the temporary suspension of air navigation in the country’s airspace. This is part of a set of precautionary measures taken based on developments in the situation in the region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that official authorities are continuously monitoring the situation and evaluating developments in coordination with regional and international partners. The public will be kept informed of any new developments through official channels.

The Ministry reiterates its assurance that the safety and security of all individuals on Qatari soil remains a top priority and that the state will not hesitate to take all necessary preventive and protective measures within this framework.

Media and Communication Department
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Conclusion

This is a significant move for the state of Qatar, which also affects approximately 100,000 passengers who use Qatar Airways daily.

Even when the airspace is reopened, it will take days to get aircraft and crews back to their usual rotations, and a massive backlog of passengers is expected.

It will be a monumental task for Qatar Airways personnel to rebook all affected passengers and get them to their destination.

I am actually scheduled to fly out of Dubai on Wednesday with Aegean, and they have been operating the flights so far. Let’s see.

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