Doha, 07 March (H.S.): Qatar edged toward aviation revival Friday with a partial reopening of its airspace, channeling limited flights through contingency routes amid the blistering US-Israel-Iran war. Coordinated with armed forces, this phase greenlights select passenger evacuations and cargo hauls, but leaves scheduled Doha services firmly grounded until safety clears.
The announcement arrives against a backdrop of West Asian turmoil ignited by Operation Epic Fury on February 28—a thunderous US-Israeli blitz that razed Iranian military hubs, nuclear facilities, and leadership bastions, felling Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and key lieutenants. Tehran's riposte unleashed drone barrages and missile salvos on US bases and Israeli holdings across Arab states, dragging Lebanon into the fray via Hezbollah clashes.
An official post on X detailed the restrained rollout: operations prioritize essential air services via secure paths, with real-time monitoring to shield passengers and uphold global standards. Travelers with bookings face delays; full reopening awaits explicit clearance.
Corroboration from wire services paints a region in flux. One outlet reports parallel partial reopenings in the UAE and Saudi Arabia after 10 days of closures, stranding thousands and axing over 500 flights (March 6, 2026). Another highlights Qatar Airways shuttling 20,000 via makeshift paths, dodging Iranian missile trajectories vetted by Gulf defenses (March 7, 2026).
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
