Qatar Airways Suspends All Flights to Iran and Iraq Starting November 27 2025

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Qatar Airways cancelled every scheduled passenger service to Tehran, Baghdad, Erbil, Najaf, Basra, and Sulaymaniyah effective 06:00 UTC on November 27 2025, citing escalating regional security risks. The flag carrier operated 112 weekly frequencies across the six destinations, representing 3.8% of its total network capacity. Affected passengers receive automatic rebooking via Doha to final destinations or full refunds without penalty through December 31 2025. Cargo operations continue under restricted airspace routing.

The suspension follows a November 26 2025 directive from the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority after Iranian airspace authorities imposed new military flight corridors with less than 12 hours notice. Qatar Airways Flight QR1072 from Doha to Tehran on November 26 diverted to Kuwait after Iranian air traffic control denied entry 40 minutes from landing. Similar incidents affected Emirates EK971 and Flydubai FZ1825 the same evening. Iraqi airspace remains open but subject to 30-minute holding patterns over central sectors.

Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport lost 28% of international departures within hours, with Lufthansa, Austrian, and Turkish Airlines also suspending services until further notice. Baghdad International handled only 11 arrivals on November 26 against a normal 62, as Gulf Air, Middle East Airlines, and Royal Jordanian joined the pullout. Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports report zero scheduled passenger movements from Gulf hubs starting November 27.

Qatar Airways deployed six Airbus A330s and four Boeing 787-8s previously assigned to Iran/Iraq routes to reinforce European and Southeast Asian frequencies. Additional capacity adds 14 weekly flights to London Heathrow, 10 to Bangkok, and eight to Manila from December 1. The airline maintains 41 weekly services to Pakistan and 28 to Afghanistan as alternate routing options for stranded passengers.

Iran Air and Mahan Air continue limited domestic and regional schedules using eastern corridors, but foreign carrier participation dropped to 9% of pre-suspension levels. Iraqi Airways operates repatriation flights from Beirut and Cairo using Jordanian airspace. The International Air Transport Association issued a Level 3 conflict zone alert for Iranian and western Iraqi airspace at 18:00 UTC November 26.

Refugee and pilgrimage traffic faces the largest impact, with 180,000 annual passengers using Doha as transit for Najaf and Karbala shrines. Qatar Airways coordinates with the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority for potential resumption once NOTAMs lift, currently listed as indefinite. Passengers holding tickets beyond March 31 2026 may rebook without change fees until new schedules publish.

The route closures remove 2,100 weekly seats to Tehran alone, where Qatar Airways held 38% market share against Iran Air’s 44%. Load factors on remaining Middle East services averaged 89% year-to-date, supporting rapid redeployment. Hamad International Airport reports no impact on overall transfer traffic, as affected routes fed primarily origin-destination demand rather than connections.

Regional carriers now reroute Middle East-Europe traffic via Jeddah, Bahrain, or direct Mediterranean corridors, adding 40-90 minutes to typical flight times. Insurance premiums for flights over Iraq rose 450% overnight, according to Willis Towers Watson aviation desk. Qatar Airways confirms no aircraft remain positioned in Iran or Iraq following the final rotations on November 26.