Qatar Airways has joined the list of airlines canceling flights in May due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The aviation industry has been grappling with route cancellations and adjustments to flight schedules as airspace restrictions in the Gulf region persist. The situation was exacerbated by Iran’s blockade of the vital Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas, leading to a global shortage and a surge in jet fuel prices.
Amid concerns about the prolonged availability of jet fuel, a total of 18 airlines have announced flight cancellations, resulting in 13,000 flights being pulled from May schedules worldwide, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Qatar Airways has now suspended flights to 22 cities during May and beyond.
Specifically, the airline has halted flights from Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) to four European destinations – Malta, Sarajevo, Sofia, and Venice. While some routes are expected to resume in September, the airline is currently not offering flights from Doha to destinations such as Canberra, Cebu, Djibouti, Kano, Kigali, Mogadishu, Nagpur, and Zanzibar, with plans to bring back around half of these routes post-summer holidays.
The airline’s operations have been significantly impacted by airspace closures resulting from drone and missile strikes in the region. Qatar Airways has also suspended flights to several cities such as Aleppo, Gassim, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, Mashhad, Neom Bay, Shiraz, Tabuk, Taif, Tehran, and Yanbu, including locations in Iran where airspace restrictions remain in effect. While some of these routes are expected to resume in September, a total of 22 routes have been affected.
Despite the challenges faced, Qatar Airways announced the resumption of certain routes and the return of its Airbus A380s next month. The airline is gradually restoring its network in the Middle East, with plans to operate double-daily passenger flights to Abu Dhabi. Furthermore, Qatar Airways aims to expand its international flight network to over 150 destinations starting June 16, 2026, to cater to more passengers during the summer season.