This morning, according to the BBC, several governments in the Middle East severed diplomatic ties with the Qatari government located in Doha, Qatar. This will significantly impact air travel as Qatar Airways is based out Doha, and has many flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
According to a Saudi statement, this diplomatic crisis is the result of alleged secret efforts by the Qatari government to undermine the Saudi government and also support Iran and various terrorist groups, including ISIS.
The Qatari government has yet to respond but in the meantime all travel (including air) is suspended between UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Â This will specifically impact flights between the main Qatar Airways hub in Doha and the Emirates hub in Dubai as well as the Etihad Airways hub in Abu Dhabi.
Bottom LineÂ
Qatar is isolated on the Persian Gulf and only has outside access with its border with Saudi Arabia. With the border now closed, this will have a large impact on those living in Qatar and also those flying to Doha and on to other Middle Eastern countries. The largest impact will be on international travelers flying through Qatar to Egypt or the UAE. There is timeline for resolution of the current crisis and more details will follow in coming days.
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Qatar is not landlocked…
You are absolutely correct. I meant the opposite. Article is edited. Thanks for the heads up 🙂