Qatar Airways Ambitions Threatened by Gulf Diplomatic Breakdown
- Carrier faces loss of feeder flights from Arab neighbors
- Airspace closures could make African flights impossible
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Over the past two decades, Qatar Airways has grown from a regional player into a world-straddling colossus, with flights to more than 150 destinations, some of the industry’s newest planes, and ambitious plans for overseas alliances. The diplomatic spat between Qatar and its Middle East neighbors threatens to scuttle those ambitions.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates suspended ties with Qatar, shutting down flights and maritime links to the country. That will force state-owned Qatar Air to ground more than 50 daily departures--or about 10 percent of its total--according to scheduling firm OAG.