Despite a recent decision by several neighboring countries to impose a blockade on Qatar, Qatar Airways reports that the vast majority of its flights continue to operate as scheduled.
Regional carriers such as Etihad Airways, Emirates and Gulf Air have suspended services to and from Doha (DOH) after Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, the Maldives and Yemen severed diplomatic ties with Qatar amid allegations of support for Islamist extremist groups. Even so, Qatar Airways maintains that it is largely maintaining normal operations.
“As far as we are concerned, it is business as usual,” said Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer of Qatar Airways. “This blockade is unprecedented and contradicts conventions that guarantee civil overflight rights. We are an airline, not a political body, and this action has denied us rights that are normally protected.”
The carrier says its operations are running smoothly while it continues an ambitious expansion plan. Recent network additions include a discreet launch of flights to Dublin (DUB), with services to Nice (NCE) and Skopje (SKP) planned to follow in July. Routes scheduled for 2018 include Las Vegas (LAS), Canberra (CBR) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG).
Two weeks prior, Qatar Airways operated roughly 1,200 departures from Doha to more than 150 destinations worldwide, with 90 percent of flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. In response to the regional tensions, the airline has increased staffing for its global call centers and social media teams to assist concerned customers, and has extended commercial policies to provide greater flexibility for refunds and rebooking for passengers affected by travel restrictions.
This week, Qatar Airways will present its new Qsuite business-class product at the Paris Air Show, with plans to introduce the suite on the Doha–London Heathrow (LHR) route later this month.