Qatar has officially reopened its airspace following a brief suspension on the night of 23 June. The temporary closure, announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was implemented as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and travellers.
Saif Zaman ( আয়ান )/Unsplash
This update follows our earlier report on the sudden suspension of all air traffic in Qatari airspace. Within hours of reopening in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Qatar Airways confirmed the reinstatement of flights. However, the airline cautioned travellers to expect continued delays as reported by Travel News.
“Our focus at this time is to help our passengers return home or reach their onward journey safely and smoothly,” Qatar Airways said in a statement. “We are working tirelessly with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to restore operations as quickly as possible.”
Additional ground staff have been deployed at Hamad International Airport (DOH) and other key hubs to support affected passengers.
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Impact on South African departures
Several flights from South Africa were disrupted by the airspace closure, with diversions and delays reported:
- QR1364 from Johannesburg (JNB), originally departed at 13:55 and landed in Doha at 02:41 after a diversion to Salalah International Airport (SLL) in Oman.
- QR1370 from Cape Town (CPT), departed at 13:00 and landed at 03:25.
- QR1376 from Durban (DUR), departed at 12:05 and landed at 03:28.
- QR1378, scheduled to depart JNB at 20:25, was delayed to 23:45, eventually landing in Doha at 08:53—around three hours later than expected.
Qatar Airways has advised passengers to check their flight status via its website or mobile app before heading to the airport, as further disruptions may occur while the airline works to normalise operations.
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