Qatar to partially lift airspace restrictions amid US-Israel military action

Friday saw Qatar's aviation authority announce the partial reopening of the country's airspace, which had been closed to all air traffic following retaliatory Iranian missile and drone strikes in response to US-Israeli strikes.

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The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority revealed that air navigation would resume through designated contingency routes, albeit with limited operational capacity, allowing for the partial resumption of air navigation in the State of Qatar.

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The initial phase of the reopening will involve a limited number of flights, specifically for passenger evacuation, as well as air cargo flights, as stated by the authority.

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The ongoing war in the Middle East has significantly impacted the Gulf region, catching off guard travellers who had perceived it as a safe holiday destination.

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Hamad International Airport, Qatar's primary airport, confirmed on Saturday, March 7, that it would operate a limited number of flights for the evacuation of stranded passengers and air cargo operations.

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The airport added that the operation of additional flights in the coming days would be subject to a continuous assessment of the security situation, as stated in a clarification provided by Hamad International Airport.

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Qatar's defence ministry reported that the country was targeted by 10 Iranian drones on Friday, with its military successfully intercepting nine of them, while one drone struck an uninhabited area without causing any casualties.

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Earlier, on Tuesday, the Gulf state had stated that Hamad International Airport was targeted in Iranian attacks, but all of them were successfully thwarted.