Qatar Airways has pushed back the start date of its triangular route from Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) to Bogotá (BOG) and Caracas (CCS) to September. The Qatari flag carrier had originally planned to begin service on this route later in July, and, while the reason for the delay is unclear, there is no denying that regional tensions have impacted Middle Eastern schedules considerably in 2026.

As a result of the delayed start, current scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that Qatar Airways is now only set to operate 35 rotations on this triangular South American route in 2026. In contrast, its only other South American route is served up to three times a day, with more than twice as many rotations (79) in this month alone. Let’s dive deeper into the data.

Pushed Back By Six Weeks

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Qatar Airways was originally set to start flying from its Doha hub to El Dorado International Airport in the Colombian capital city of Bogotá and Simón Bolívar International Airport in the Venezuelan capital city of Caracas on July 22. However, the latest scheduling data now shows that these flights will begin six weeks later, on September 2. What hasn’t changed is the aircraft choice: the Boeing 777-200LR.

Present fleet data from ch-aviation shows that Qatar Airways has six of these long-range widebody twinjets in its fleet, aged 16.4 years on average. According to aeroLOPA, they have 42 business class and either 230 or 234 economy seats on board. While the type could fly back from Bogota to Doha nonstop, the former’s high altitude and payload restrictions mean that the stopover in Caracas is a necessity.

Simple Flying has reached out to Qatar Airways for further information on this matter. We will update our coverage upon receiving a statement from the airline.

A Closer Look At The Schedules

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The revised schedules will mirror the original plans, in the sense that the first rotation will operate nonstop from Doha to Caracas, before making the short hop to Bogota and then finally returning to Doha on a nonstop basis. However, due to the aforementioned payload restrictions that dictate operations in Bogota, the route thereafter will be operated the other way round. Either way, the flights are very long.

Indeed, the regular rotation will see Qatar Airways flight QR783 depart from Doha at 7:30 AM, with its arrival into Bogota taking place some 16 hours and 35 minutes later, at 4:05 PM local time. After 90 minutes on the ground, the Boeing 777-200LR will begin making its way back to Doha, starting with the relatively short two-hour and five-minute flight to Caracas, which leaves at 5:35 PM and lands at 8:40 PM.

The layover in Caracas is slightly longer, at two hours, with the third and final leg of Qatar Airways flight QR783 then taking off once again at 10:40 PM local time. Its arrival back into Doha is timed for 7:55 PM the next day, representing a block time on this leg of 14 hours and 15 minutes. When all is said and done, passengers flying from Doha to Caracas via Bogota can reckon with journeys of almost 21 hours.

Qatar Airways Only Has One Other South American Route At Present

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With the triangular route to Caracas and Bogota having been pushed back to September, July will only see Qatar Airways operate one route from its main hub at Doha Hamad International Airport to a destination that is located in South America. The corridor in question serves São Paulo Guarulhos Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in Brazil, with 79 rotations this July.

This works out at a daily frequency of either two or three return flights. Of the 79 rotations, 31 (one a day) are operated by the Airbus A350-1000, while the Boeing 777-200LR looks after the other 48. Flying westbound from Doha to São Paulo, passengers can reckon with block times in the region of 15 hours. Meanwhile, the faster eastbound legs on this long route typically take closer to 14 hours and 20 minutes.