Qatar Airways resumes flights to parts of the Middle East

A major airline is resuming flights to parts of the Middle East but Australians have been warned about travelling to certain locations.

Qatar Airways is resuming flights to Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria following the lifting of airspace restrictions in the region.

Baghdad was the first to get its Doha connection restored, with flights gradually resuming to destinations in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon to follow.

The Doha-based airline suspended flights to several Levantine destinations in mid-June, after an Iranian missile strike targeted the US base at Al Udeid in Qatar.

Major global carriers including Qantas and Emirates were also impacted after parts of the Qatari airspace were forced to shut for several hours over security concerns.

As of June 30, Qatar Airways resumed operations at five destinations in Iraq following the lifting of airspace restrictions in the region – this includes 13 weekly flights to Baghdad, seven weekly flights to Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, seven weekly flights to Sulaymaniyah, a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Qatar Airways to resume flights to Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.

From July 6, the airline will resume its daily service to Damascus. The service will be complemented by a double daily schedule that will begin on July 15.

As of July 1, the airline also resumed its full schedule to Lebanon’s Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) and Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport (AMM):

21 weekly flights to Beirut.

Qatar Airways will increase its operations in Beirut from 14 to 21 weekly flights with an additional third frequency.

The airline said it has updated its schedules in compliance with international aviation regulations for safe aircraft routes.

Smartraveller has warned Aussies not to travel to some parts of the Middle East. Picture: DFAT

It has advised passengers are advised to check the status of their flight and travel alerts on qatarairways.com.

Meanwhile, Dubai’s flagship carrier, Emirates, announced flights to Iraq’s Baghdad and Basra will recommence on July 1 and 2, respectively.

“Due to the regional situation, Emirates has cancelled all the flights to and from Tehran until and including July 5,” the airline said in a statement.

“Customers connecting through Dubai with final destinations in Iran will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice.”

Travel warning for Aussies

Smartraveller, which is run by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), currently has a ‘do not travel’ warning for parts of the Middle East – this includes Syria, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon.

“The security situation in the Middle East is unpredictable. If the regional security situation deteriorates again this may result in airspace closures, flight cancellations and other travel disruptions at short notice.”

For specific advise on each location visit the Smartraveller website.