Micah Jonah, March 7, 2026
Qatar has partially reopened its airspace days after Iranian missile and drone strikes forced the country to suspend all flights, as the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran continues to escalate.
The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announced on Friday that limited airspace operations would resume through designated contingency routes and under strict coordination with the Qatari armed forces.
Authorities said the partial reopening is mainly for evacuation and cargo flights, while scheduled commercial passenger services to and from Doha remain suspended until further notice.
Qatar Airways said it plans to operate repatriation flights on March 7 from Hamad International Airport to several major cities including London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Frankfurt.
The airline said priority would be given to stranded passengers, elderly travellers, families and people with urgent medical or humanitarian needs.
Qatar initially closed its airspace on February 28 following rising security threats linked to the conflict in the region. Officials said the decision was taken as a precaution to ensure the safety of passengers and aircraft.
According to the Ministry of Defence of Qatar, the country has been targeted by at least 14 ballistic missiles and four drones launched from Iran during the conflict.
The attacks have disrupted aviation activities across the Gulf region. More than 2,000 flights have been cancelled at Hamad International Airport alone since the conflict began.
Across the region, major aviation hubs are also experiencing significant disruption. Dubai International Airport has recorded nearly 4,000 cancellations after Iranian strikes forced evacuations earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, Zayed International Airport is operating at limited capacity after more than 1,000 flight cancellations.
In Kuwait, drone strikes damaged airport infrastructure, forced authorities to close the country’s airspace to commercial flights.
Aviation data firm Cirium estimates that more than 23,000 flights have been cancelled across the region since late February as the conflict continues to disrupt travel and logistics operations in the Middle East.
