Qatar Airways Group has revealed details of its response to the unprecedented operational crisis it faced on the evening of Monday, June 23, 2025, following a sudden closure of the airspace of the State of Qatar, followed by similar closures in Bahrain, the UAE and Kuwait, which led to the suspension of operations at Hamad International Airport and the diversion of dozens of flights.
According to a message from the Group Chief Executive Officer in a press release on the company's website, the airline was forced to divert more than 90 Doha-bound flights carrying over 20,000 passengers to alternative airports in Saudi Arabia (25 flights), Turkey (18 flights), India (15 flights), the Sultanate of Oman (13 flights) and the UAE (5 flights), as well as airports in London, Barcelona and a number of destinations in Europe and Asia.
All departures from Doha were suspended until 00:01 on Tuesday, June 24, while more than 10,000 passengers were at Hamad International Airport at the time of the incident, waiting for their transit flights.
The company stressed that its crews faced severe operational pressure, with many crew members exceeding their legal duty hours and Airbus A380 aircraft out of their usual operating positions, while some aircraft remained waiting for clearance to return to Qatari airspace after it reopened.
As soon as flights resumed after midnight, the diverted aircraft gradually began returning to Doha, and the number of transit passengers passing through Hamad International Airport exceeded 22,000 by 5 a.m. on June 24.
The company took a package of operational and logistical measures to support passengers, most notably:
Providing hotel accommodation for more than 4,600 passengers in about 3,200 hotel rooms in Doha.
Manually rebooking flights, including on other airlines, and handling cases of expired visas.
Distributing more than 35,000 meals and providing support in transit areas, especially for the elderly and medical cases.
Increasing capacity on flights to the most affected destinations.
Applying a flexible policy for changing bookings or refunding tickets free of charge.
According to the company, more than 11,000 passengers departed during the morning of June 24, while the remaining passengers completed their journeys during the evening and until the morning of June 25, with no passenger from the diverted flights left without support or follow-up.
By Tuesday, the company had resumed 390 flights, and the number of scheduled flights operated reached 578 on June 25, according to its statement.
To view the post on the Qatar Airways website, click here.
