[aviation news]
Qatar Airways resumes operations after Iran attack closes Qatar’s airspace and affect more than 20,000 passengers
Qatar Airways has completely resumed its global operations after forced flight suspension due to the emergency closure of Qatar’s airspace, caused by a missile attack launched from Iran.
The stoppage, which began on Monday night (23), affected 151 flights and about 20,000 passengers, temporarily interrupting the activities of Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha.
The closing of airspace occurred around 6 pm (local time), abruptly, forcing the immediate suspension of all flights of the company. Following, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait also banned their air spaces. Hamad Airport, considered one of the main hubs of global aviation, had suspended operations with almost 100 aircraft on the route or ready to take off.
To our passengers:
An open letter from Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer.Read more:https://t.co/QLtIbrRE0gpic.twitter.com/pZOZipiuO5
— qatara airyyas (@QUAARUEEDS) June 25, 2025
Shortly after closing, a missile attack was launched from Iran against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The country’s air defense system was activated, and the Armed Forces responded immediately to ensure the safety of the population and passengers.
More than 90 Qatar Airways flights had to be diverted, affecting approximately 20,000 passengers. The aircraft carried out emergency landings in countries such as Saudi Arabia (25 flights), Turkey (18), India (15), Oman (13) and the United Arab Emirates (5). Other flights were redirected to large international hubs in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
At Doha Terminal, more than 10,000 transit passengers awaited the restart of operations at the time of the crisis. The company faced a series of immediate logistics challenges, including relocation of out -of -position crews, redistribution of overdue operational limits, and replacing itineraries, and over -time flyer authorizations.
The flights originated in Doha were suspended until 00h01 on Tuesday (24). After the reopening of airspace, the deflected flights began to return to Qatar. At 5 am, the number of passengers in transit at the airport already exceeded 22 thousand.
Qatar Airways activated its business continuity plans, providing hosting to 4,600 passengers in 3,200 hotel rooms, as well as the distribution of over 35,000 meals, comfort and direct support kits. Teams have been mobilized to assist in remarks, prioritize passengers with medical needs, resolve visa issues and coordinate with immigration and customs authorities.
The company also expanded its capacity on the most impacted routes, reinforced customer service and adopted a flexibility policy for remarks and reimbursements without fees.
By the end of the 24th, Qatar Airways had already operated 390 flights, a number that rose to 578 the next day. All around 20,000 diverted passengers were relocated within 24 hours after the incident, and more than 11,000 resumed their trips on Tuesday morning.
The complete resumption of operations occurred in 18 hours, with more than 58,000 passengers from Doha until the end of the 24th.
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