Qatar crisis: Flights to and from Doha get up to an hour longer

NEW DELHI: The flying time between India and the Qatar capital increased by anywhere up to an hour from Tuesday as airlines between these two countries started taking the longer route over Iran instead of the direct one they took earlier to dodge the UAE airspace. The increase in flying time was highest from airports in south India, with flights that flew directly over the Arabian Sea now having to fly north to enter Iran and then Doha.

While the UAE has banned Qatar-registered planes from its airspace, Indian carriers flying to and from Doha also need prior permission from the UAE to go via its airspace. Jet Airways, the Indian carrier with the most flights to Qatar from India, said its flying time increased by 50 minutes for flights between Doha and Thiruvananthapuram, and 10 minutes for flights to and from Delhi. By evening, Jet got some clearances due to which the increase in flying time from Thiruvananthapuram was reduced to 40 minutes. A Jet spokesman said the airline was trying “to obtain clearance from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA, UAE) to overfly the UAE airspace... "Our schedules have been provided to the GCAA. Once approved, our flights will be able to resume operating on the normal routes.”

An IndiGo spokesman confirmed the airline was taking longer routes to and from Doha. Qatar Airways, which flies to 13 destinations in India, did not comment.


The Gulf has now become a challenge for airlines and the Qatar crisis is not the first time airlines have been forced to take circuitous and long detours over the region. Air India is planning Mumbai-Tel Aviv flights but the journey, which should take less than five hours, will take about eight hours due to restrictions in the region for flights to and from Israel.

“Saudi Arabia does not allow planes to fly to Israel from over its airspace. Israel also does not want flights to or from it to overfly some Gulf countries as these flights will have Israelis on baard and landing in those places in an emergency will mean the citizens getting a hostile treatment,” said a source.