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Qatar Airways

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The Saudi aviation authority has revoked Qatar Airways’ license to land and fly in the country.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation also ordered its offices to be closed within 48 hours.

In a statement, the authority also said licenses granted to Qatar Airways’ employees would be withdrawn.

Saudi Arabia had already suspended flights to and from Qatar on June 5, amid a diplomatic row between the kingdom and Qatar.

Qatar Airways is wholly owned by the Qatari government.

Image source Wikimedia

The airline group employs more than 40,000 people worldwide.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker is also a non-executive director of Heathrow Airport Holdings, which operates London’s biggest airport.

Saudi Arabia and several other Gulf countries have cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism in the region.

Other neighbors, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have closed their airspace to Qatari planes.

Six countries – Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Yemen, Libya’s eastern-based government and the Maldives – cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have given Qatari nationals two weeks to leave and banned their own citizens from travelling to Qatar.

Qatar’s capital, Doha, is a major hub for international flight connections.

Other airlines affected by the airspace restrictions include Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates.

When avoiding Saudi Arabia, their massive – and only – neighbor, Qatar’s planes are having to take more indirect routes, leading to longer flight times.

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In a growing diplomatic row, Egypt has closed its airspace to Qatari planes and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are expected to do the same on June 6.

Yesterday, several Gulf countries have cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism in the region.

Qatari nationals in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been given two weeks to leave.

Qatar denies backing militants and its foreign minister has called for “a dialogue of openness and honesty”.

Egypt has announced it was closing off its airspace to Qatar from 04:00 GMT on June 6 “until further notice”.

Travel disruption is expected as the airport in Doha, Qatar’s capital, is a major hub for international flight connections.

Image source Wikipedia

Airlines affected will include Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates.

When avoiding the massive neighbor to the west, Saudi Arabia, Qatari planes will inevitably have to take longer routes leading to longer flight times.

However, Qatar’s Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, told broadcaster Al Jazeera the country would “still have access to the world through international sea lanes and international airspace”.

An anonymous Somali official told AP at least 15 Qatar Airways flights had used Somalia’s airspace on June 5, many more than on a normal day.

The states joining the move against Qatar, a tiny but gas-rich peninsula, on June 5 include some of the biggest powers in the Arab world.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE closed all transport ties by air, land and sea to Qatar.

They gave all Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave their territory, and banned their citizens from travelling to Qatar.

The UAE and Egypt expelled Qatari diplomats, giving them 48 hours to leave.

Saudi Arabia closed down a local office of Al Jazeera, but said Qatari citizens would still be allowed to take part in the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

Egypt, Yemen, Libya’s eastern-based government and the Maldives later followed suit in severing diplomatic ties.

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