Emirates to suspend flight service to Doha
Emirates will suspend flights to Doha from June 6, and the suspension period in indefinite according to an official statement from the airline.
"Emirates will suspend its flights to and from Doha, starting from the morning of 6 June 2017, until further notice. The last flight from Dubai to Doha will depart as EK847 at 02:30am on 6 June. The last flight from Doha to Dubai will depart as EK848 at 03:50am on 6 June," it said.
The move comes after UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, and Egypt cut ties with Qatar. According to an official statement the UAE issued today, Qatari nationals will be prevented from entering the country, giving Qatari residents and visitor 14 days to leave the country, state news agency, WAM reported.
UAE’s national airline, Etihad Airways, has also confirmed that it will suspend all flights to Doha from 6 June onward, according to Arabian Business.
Low cost carrier, flydubai, has reported that it has suspended flights to Doha from 6 June onwards, according to its Facebook page. "From Tuesday, 6 June, 2017 all flydubai flights between Dubai and Doha will be suspended until further notice," it read.
Another report from Arabian Business stated that Sharjah-based Air Arabia will also suspend flights between the UAE and Qatar effective 6 June.
The WAM report stated that the UAE will close its airspace and seaports for all Qatar nationals. It also added: "[The UAE is] banning all Qatari means of transportation, coming to, or leaving the UAE, from crossing, entering, or leaving the UAE territories, and taking all legal measures in collaboration with friendly countries and international companies with regards to Qataris using the UAE airspace and territorial waters, from and to Qatar, for national security considerations."
One of the main reasons the ban has been implemented is due to "Qatar’s continued support, funding, and hosting of terror groups, primarily Islamic Brotherhood, and its sustained endeavours to promote the ideologies of Daesh and Al Qaeda across its direct and indirect media in addition to Qatar’s violation of the statement issued at the US-Islamic Summit in Riyadh on 21 May, 2017 on countering terrorism in the region and considering Iran a state sponsor of terrorism," the WAM report said.
Bahrain’s Gulf Air also confirmed that it will be suspending flights to Qatar from 23:59, June 5 – local Bahrain time, according to Arabian Business
The last Gulf Air flight from Bahrain to Doha (GF530) will depart at 8:55pm on 5 June and the last Gulf Air flight from Doha to Bahrain (GF531) will depart at 10:40pm on 5 June.