Stuck in Doha, Travelers Look for Escape After Airspace Closes
(Bloomberg) -- A few hours after an Iranian air strike on Qatar, authorities in Doha reopened the airspace over one of the busiest aviation hubs in the world.
But getting passengers back on track again has proven to be more complicated. At Hamad International Airport, typically a model of calm, efficiency and quiet luxury, ground staff were overwhelmed by travelers looking for a way out after the escalating regional conflict crossed their flight plans. Hundreds of stranded customers stormed transfer desks or clogged up escalators and waiting lounges.
'Tempers were certainly flaring,' said Howard Gottlieb, 68, from Arlington, Texas, whose return flight to Dallas after a trip to Africa was canceled. 'People were beginning to yell and push. Others were simply laying down in the middle of the crowd.'
The turmoil underscores the fragility of the airline industry that's been forced to make short-term adjustments to flight paths and travel schedules as it gets caught up in regional conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East. The scenes playing out at Hamad airport stand in stark contrast to the seamless, globe-spanning operations brimming with luxury service that have put superconnector hubs like Doha and Dubai on the map and turned them into aviation trend-setters.
Qatar Airway Chief Executive Officer Badr Al-Meer, who previously ran the airport, is now in his second year leading the airline. The company said it provided a travel alert with details on refunds and flight change information.
In nearby Dubai, operations swiftly returned to normal at Emirates because the airspace there didn't close down as completely as in Qatar. The airline, the world's biggest international carrier, said in a statement that 'passengers experienced minimal disruptions to their travel,' and that the company 'quickly activated its robust contingency and disruption plans.'
The clockwork routine that's normally associated with airline operations in the Persian Gulf was upended late on Monday night, just before Iran launched a missile strike at a US air base in the country. That move prompted Qatar to suspend transits over its air space, while flights in and out of Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest hub, were also temporarily halted.
Marzahn Botha, who had traveled from Athens in the afternoon, finally made it Doha after a detour to Dammam in Saudi Arabia, where the plane waited for four hours before it was cleared to continue its journey to Qatar.
When passengers finally got off at the airport, 'it was crazy,' Botha said in an interview. 'The queues were so long, some people missed their flight for standing in line.'
Dozens of Gulf-bound flights on several commercial airlines were diverted en route to safer airports in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, India and Belgium, including those from London and Zurich to destinations like Dubai and Qatar, based on data from aviation consultant Cirium.
For Gottlieb and his wife, their path out of Doha led them via a connection through Chicago and then on to their final destination in Dallas, he said in an interview.
'I'm fortunate enough to be able to purchase other tickets,' he said. 'I still have no idea how the refund will work — but at least we got out.'
--With assistance from Anthony Palazzo.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
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Hindustan Times
24 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
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Hindustan Times
24 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Israel-Iran war highlights Mideast's declining influence on oil prices: Bousso
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Ultimately, therefore, the Israel-Iran war is further evidence that the link between Middle East politics and energy prices has loosened, perhaps permanently. So geopolitical risk may keep rising, but don't expect energy prices to follow suit. Enjoying this column? Check out Reuters Open Interest ,your essential new source for global financial commentary. ROI delivers thought-provoking, data-driven analysis. Markets are moving faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on LinkedIn and X. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Trump says China can buy Iranian oil, urges it to buy US crude
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that China can continue to purchase Iranian oil after Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire, a move that the White House clarified did not indicate a relaxation of US sanctions. "China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran. Hopefully, they will be purchasing plenty from the US, also," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, just days after he ordered US bombings of three Iranian nuclear sites. Trump was drawing attention to no attempts by Iran so far to close the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers, as a closure would have been hard for China, the world's top importer of Iranian oil, a senior White House official told Reuters. "The president continues to call on China and all countries to import our state-of-the-art oil rather than import Iranian oil in violation of US sanctions," the official said. After the ceasefire announcement, Trump's comments on China were another bearish signal for oil prices, which fell nearly 6 per cent. Any relaxation of sanctions enforcement on Iran would mark a US policy shift after Trump said in February he was re-imposing maximum pressure on Iran, aiming to drive its oil exports to zero, over its nuclear program and funding of militants across the Middle East. Trump imposed waves of Iran-related sanctions on several of China's so-called independent "teapot" refineries and port terminal operators for purchases of Iranian oil. "President Trump's greenlight for China to keep buying Iranian oil reflects a return to lax enforcement standards," said Scott Modell, a former CIA officer, now CEO of Rapidan Energy Group. In addition to not enforcing sanctions, Trump could suspend or waive sanctions imposed by executive order or under authorities a president is granted in laws passed by Congress. Trump will likely not waive sanctions ahead of coming rounds of US-Iran nuclear talks, Modell said. The measures provide leverage given Tehran's demand that any deal includes lifting them permanently. Jeremy Paner, a partner at Hughes Hubbard & Reed lawfirm, said if Trump chooses to suspend Iran oil-related sanctions, it would require lots of work between agencies. The Treasury would need to issue licenses, and the State Department would have to issue waivers, which require Congressional notification. 'Flash the glock' China has long opposed what it has called Washington's "abuse of illegal unilateral sanctions." China's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Trump's post. Larger purchases of Iranian oil by China and other consumers could upset US ally Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter. The impact of US sanctions on Iran 's exports, however, has been limited since Trump's first administration when he cracked down harder on Tehran. Trump has "flashed the Glock" this year with sanctions on Chinese trading companies and terminals, but the results have been far more "minimum pressure" than maximum, Modell said. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters that Trump had signaled what he wanted to happen and that his administration is focused on delivering that. She would not say what the process would entail. "But clearly we are focused on making sure that (the) guiding hand of President Trump prevails and moves this government forward, so we will have to wait and see when it comes to what that ends up looking like," Bruce said.]
