Qantas caught up in Qatar travel bans confusion

Qantas is examining the fallout between its partner airlines which have banned travel to Qatar.

Qantas said yesterday it was exami­ning the fallout between its partner airlines which have banned travel to Qatar, in a move that could lead to some Qatari passengers being prevented from flying on the Australian airline.

Qataris who can’t travel through the Middle East would be offered alternative travel or ­refunds, a senior Qantas executive said yesterday.

Middle-Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, cut ties with the tiny Gulf state on Monday over what they say is Qatar’s support for terrorism, a claim Qatar denies.

The United Arab Emirates had said Qatari nationals would not be allowed to enter the country or cross its points of entry, although the practical effects­ on airline passengers was unclear until now. Qatari nationals will not be allowe­d to pass through airports in the UAE even to change planes.

“Obviously we’ve got a relationship with Qatar with OneWorld but we don’t codeshare with Qatar,” Qantas international chief executive Gareth Evans said, in reference to Qatar Airlines being a member of the OneWorld global alliance. “So the impact on our operation and network is very, very minimal.

“The main issue, and this is developing as we speak, is the UAE has banned Qatari nationals from transiting through the UAE. We are looking to see it that affects any passengers. If it does, it will be a very small number anyway and we will offer them alternatives and refunds.”

Emirates, a codeshare partner of Qantas, said this week it would suspend only its flights to and from the Qatari capital of Doha until further notice.

Mr Evans was speaking on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association’s annual general meeting in Cancun in Mexico.

The transit restrictions follow on from the cutting of all transport links with Qatar as part of the co-ordinated action.

Additional reporting: AAP