dailynewsnblog
The impacts of the war in Iran have been considerable and widespread. Analysis of 
Qatar Airways’ latest plan for April to June 2026 shows that it has scheduled 29,035 two-way passenger flights from its Doha hub. Without context, this is virtually meaningless. It is just a number.
Compared to the same three months in 2025, a considerable 17,985 flights have been removed, which is a drop of 38%. The figure might be even higher if any unscheduled cancellations occur. Qatar Airways has fallen from being the world’s 13th-largest international carrier last year—having no domestic market helps—to 26th. Of course, it is only temporary.
Qatar Airways Between April And June
As you’d expect, the carrier is focusing most strongly on the current month. The latest data shows that it scheduled 57% fewer flights to/from its Doha hub in April than in the same month last year. The reduction in May is substantial but notably lower (-41%). The airline’s A380s are grounded in these two spring months, but this could be extended.
For the time being, June has fewer cuts (-17%), because the airline is waiting to see how the war develops before making more changes. If the war continues, with all its consequences, many more changes are likely for this month. They will be disclosed in Qatar Airways’ weekly schedule submissions to Cirium Diio, OAG, etc.
Currently, there is no point looking at July onward, as the 
oneworld member’s schedule is more or less identical to what was planned before the war started. This will inevitably change, as Qatar Airways gains more visibility on the situation. Passengers may rebook for later this year or request a refund.
Qatar Airways’ Much-Reduced Network In April
Let’s focus exclusively on April. The latest data shows that Qatar Airways has scheduled passenger flights to 102 destinations globally. Services to some places have just recommenced. They include Birmingham, to which Qatar Airways returned on April 9. A handful of other places, such as Abidjan, Accra, Al-Ula, Geneva, Hail, Red Sea Project, Seattle, Stockholm, and Vienna, are due to welcome the return of the airline later this month.
Compared to last April, 72 passenger destinations will not see the carrier in the current month. Lyon, which was removed from the airline’s network last year, is not included. The following table summarizes them by continent or region. Having no flights to these 72 airports accounts for 60% of Qatar Airways’ flight reduction in April. The remaining 40% is from fewer frequencies on still-served routes.
Destinations not currently served include Atlanta, Auckland (which is Qatar Airways’ longest nonstop route), Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Like the others, these links are due to see Qatar Airways again in May or June. Whether that happens will depend on the war.
|
Continent Or Region |
Number Of Airports |
No Qatar Airways Passenger Flights In April** |
|---|---|---|
|
Africa |
Ten |
Alexandria, Djibouti, Kano, Kinshasa, Luanda, Marrakech, Mogadishu, Port Harcourt, Seychelles, Zanzibar |
|
Australasia |
Three |
Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane |
|
Asia (excl. the Middle East & Turkey*) |
15 |
Almaty, Baku, Cebu, Chengdu, Chongqing, Davao, Goa, Hangzhou, Kozhikode, Nagpur, Osaka, Phnom Penh, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Yerevan |
|
Europe |
15 |
Belgrade, Brussels, Budapest, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, Lisbon, London Gatwick, Malaga, Nice, Oslo, Prague, Sofia, Venice, Zagreb |
|
Middle East (including Turkey) |
24 |
Abha, Abu Dhabi, Amman, Ankara, Baghdad, Bahrain, Basra, Beirut, Damascus, Dubai, Erbil, Gassim, Kuwait, Medinah, Mashhad, Najaf, Neom Bay, Sharjah, Shiraz, Sulaymaniyah, Tabuk, Taif, Tehran, Yanbu |
|
North America |
Five |
Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco |
|
* As there are so many places that aren’t currently served |
** Known as of April 10, and subject to change |
Only 43% Full: Southwest’s 10 Emptiest International Routes
Some of them are barely ever discussed…
Which Equipment Is The Most Impacted?
According to ch-aviation, Qatar Airways has 240 passenger aircraft. It has 57 777-300ERs, 34 A350-900s, 32 787-8s, 28 A350-1000s, 27 A320ceos, 26 787-9s, ten A330-300s, eight A380s, seven 777-200LRs, six A321neos, and five A330-200s. Widebodies account for 86% of its aircraft.
As mentioned earlier, 38% fewer flights are available between April and June compared to the same months last year. As such, a reduction in an equipment’s use beyond 38% is notable. With 83% fewer flights, the A380 is the most-impacted aircraft, but only because it’s grounded until June. The A330-300 is next (-79%), followed by the A320ceo (-77%), A330-200 (-63%), and 777-200LR (-57%). They all burn much more fuel than newer equipment.
In contrast, flights on the 787-8 are down by 38%, followed by the 777-300ER (-31%), A350-900 (-13%), 787-9 (-12%), and A350-1000 (just -6%). Some of them are very new and expensive to lease, and are rightly being prioritized over much cheaper, older aircraft. They have better cabins too. Then there’s the A321neo, which only entered service last October, although all flights in April and May have been removed.
