Qatar Airways to operate relief flights from Muscat and Riyadh for stranded travelers amid global turmoil

Qatar Airways has announced the operation of limited relief flights from Muscat and Riyadh to assist passengers left stranded by widespread regional airspace closures. The country’s airspace remains closed, with the next update on the resumption of operations due at 9am local time on Friday, March 6.

Given the serious situation, Qatar’s flag carrier will be reaching out to passengers directly regarding these flights; passengers should not travel to the airport unless notified.

Flights are scheduled to depart from Muscat, Oman’s capital, Muscat which is approximately a 10-hour drive from Doha. These flights will be heading to destinations including London Heathrow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam.

The airline has requested that customers ensure their contact details are up to date on the website and app so it can reach them with flight information and relevant instructions when the time comes. The UAE has been working on operating exceptional flights as of the afternoon of March 5 to help stranded passengers.

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that approximately 17,500 people left the country on 60 special flights between March 2 and 3. Similarly, Qatar Airways is contacting passengers directly regarding bookings on these relief flights.

On the contrary, Etihad Airways has said regular scheduled flights remain suspended until 6 am local time on March 6, while Emirates has extended its suspension until 11:59 pm local time on March 7.

Some flights have resumed for instance; Virgin Atlantic’s operations have restarted between Dubai and London. In addition, other airlines have resumed flight, including Air India, flydubai, to facilitate stranded passengers.