It was already turning into a tough year for Qatar Airways. Now things have gotten a whole lot worse.
The airline said Tuesday it was suspending all flights to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt “until further notice” after those countries broke off diplomatic relations and transport links with Qatar.
The Arab states have accused their neighbor of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region. Qatar says the claims are “unjustified” and “baseless.”
Qatar has repeatedly faced criticism for alleged support of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group considered a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Analysts say the unprecedented diplomatic rift is also driven by the belief that Qatar is too closely aligned with Iran.
Saudi Arabia canceled Qatar Airways’ license in the kingdom and will shut down its offices within 48 hours. Qatar Airways said it was arranging three charter flights on Tuesday from Jeddah to Muscat, Oman, for passengers stranded in Saudi Arabia.
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Emirates, Etihad, Saudia, Egypt Air and other regional airlines have already suspended flights to and from Doha, Qatar, but the blockade will hurt Qatar Airways more than most. It is losing more than 50 flights a day.
Source: Qatar Airways slammed by Arab blockade – Jun. 6, 2017
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