Is it safe to travel to Qatar? Latest updates

The Corniche or waterfront promenade of Doha, Qatar (Picture: Getty Images)

Thousands of travellers were stranded at airports across the Middle East after Qatar’s airspace was suddenly closed ahead of an Iranian missile attack on a US military base near Doha.

Hamad International Airport, a major transit hub and the world’s second busiest airport behind Dubai, was closed from Monday evening into the early hours of Tuesday, around 1.20am.

In 2024, Hamad International said it served 52.7 million passengers, a 15% rise on the previous year. It is estimated that 156,000 Brits visit the Gulf state each year.

But after hundreds of Qatar Airways flights were cancelled or diverted, the knock-on effect on departures is causing a wave of chaos.

Massive queues have been seen inside the terminal. Stranded travellers say there is complete chaos and ‘literally hundreds of people’ with no clue of where to go.

What happened in Qatar last night?

The UK Foreign Office issued the warning hours after the same alert was announced by the US Embassy in Doha.

Dozens of flights from London to Dubai and Doha had earlier been cancelled, after a British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Dubai was diverted to Zurich on Saturday night.

Shortly before 5pm BST on Monday, Qatar announced it would temporarily close its airspace to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.

Iran then attacked Qatar’s al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US base in the region, in retaliation for Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran’s key nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan.

Flares and explosions were seen in the sky above Doha. Iran said it had targeted the base because it it the ‘command centre of the US Air Force and is the largest strategic asset of the American terrorist army in West Asia’.

What happened to flights arriving in Qatar?

The first plane diverted was a Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for Doha from London Gatwick, which was on approach when it turned and flew to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, instead.

Dozens of Qatar Airways flights were then diverted, first to neighbouring Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Muscat, Medina and Jeddah, and later to airports as far as Istanbul and Cairo.

Planes that had left the UK for Doha turned around, with including three Qatar Airways flights from Heathrow and services from Gatwick and Manchester.

People sit at Hamad International Airport after Qatar reopened its airspace on June 24 (Picture: Reuters)

(Picture: Hamad International Airport)

What happens next?

Airlines now face days of upheaval.

Passengers who end up on diverted routes should be put up in hotels and flown on to Doha as soon as the airport is operating again.

If you are on the ground, speak to airline ground staff to find out what support is on offer.

The chaos will have far-reaching consequences that will impact travel around the world for days. Hotels in cities such as Bahrain, and regional hubs like Salalah in southern Oman, will be unable to cope with the sudden influx of guests.

Tens of thousands of passengers were waiting in Doha Airport, ready to depart when airspace closed. It will take days to clear the backlog.

What does the Foreign Office say about visiting Qatar?

The UK Foreign Office has not advised against travelling to Qatar. On Tuesday morning, the UK and the US lifted their ‘shelter in place’ orders.

After conversations with local authorities, the Foreign Office said it has reviewed the security situation and British nationals do not need to shelter in place.

Some 52.7 million passengers transited through Doha’s Hamad International Airport in 2024 (Picture: Getty Images)

The FCDO warns of travel disruption, including snap airspace closures, as well as delayed and cancelled flights.

Anyone travelling to or transiting in Qatar is advised to keep up to speed with Foreign Office guidance, and monitor local media for the latest information.

This guidance is also in place for the following countries:

• The UAE (including Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
• Kuwait
• Bahrain
• Oman
• Saudi Arabia

How far is Qatar from Israel and Iran?

While Qatar shares a regional neighbourhood with Israel and Iran, it is a considerable distance from both.

The distance from Israel to Qatar is around 1,720km, while Iran is closer, at 821km.

(Picture: Metro)

Can I claim a refund for my holiday if I don’t want to go?

In terms of refund rights, it’s important to note that the Foreign Office has not advised against travel to Qatar.

Because of this, there is no prospect of being able to cancel a trip for a full refund.

Travel insurance is unlikely to help, either. Insurers will argue there is no reason not to go.

As Grant Winter, compliance officer at specialist travel insurance provider Goodtogo, tells Metro: ‘No airline is obligated to refund you for a flight you choose not to take.’

So, if you choose not to travel, you’re likely to lose some – or even all – of your money.

However, if your flight has been cancelled, like the British Airways routes from Heathrow over the weekend, it’s a different story.

Following the cancellations, BA said: ‘As a result of recent events, we have adjusted our flight schedule to ensure the safety of our customers and crew, which is always our top priority.

‘We are contacting our customers to advise them of their options while we work through this developing situation.’

The airline is offering a flexible booking policy for anyone already booked on a flight to Doha or Dubai between Sunday and Tuesday. This gives you the chance to change your date of travel.

Is it safe to travel to Dubai, Jordan and other holiday destinations?

Across the Middle East and neighbouring regions, flights have been cancelled and airspaces closed.

According to FlightRadar24, airlines are avoiding airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Israel, taking alternative routes north above the Caspian Sea or south through Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

On social media, anxious travellers have voiced concern about the conflict spilling over to Cyprus, Jordan and UAE hotspots such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

In an update on the Foreign Office pages for several destinations, the UK warns that ‘ongoing hostilities’ have the potential to ‘deteriorate quickly’.

They are:

• The UAE (including Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
• Qatar
• Kuwait
• Bahrain
• Oman
• Saudi Arabia.

In addition to Doha, British Airways and Singapore Airlines have cancelled flights to Dubai following the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites by the US.

All of BA’s trips between London Heathrow and Dubai – the world’s second-busiest airport – have been put on pause as the world waits to learn what will happen next.

A map showing the flight path of BA Flight 109 to Dubai, which turned around over Saudi Arabia and diverted to Zurich (Picture: Flightradar24)

Emirates is continuing to operate flights from UK airports to Dubai despite the latest escalation, though these have also faced delays and disruption.

Meanwhile for Jordan, the Foreign Office reiterates the risk of ongoing hostilities in the region between Iran and Israel.

It says travellers should monitor local news channels and follow the instructions of local authorities. If you hear air raid sirens, the guidance says you should take shelter and stay away from windows.

Before you travel, the Foreign Office advises you to contact your airline and, if you have one, your travel insurer.

In Cyprus, which is just 472km from Israel and Palestine, people have described seeing streaks of light crossing the night sky over the island.

Some said they believed they had witnessed missile interception from Larnaca, but the blurry, low-resolution video shared in the post was impossible to verify.

But despite the rapidly developing situation, the UK Foreign Office has not issued an official warning suggesting that Cyprus is unsafe for visitors.

Current guidance reads: ‘Ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran could escalate quickly and pose security risks for the wider region.’

The Foreign Office advises travellers already on the island to monitor local and international media for updates, and follow the instructions of local authorities.

What is happening in Israel and Iran?

In the early hours of Friday, June 13, Israel launched an unprecedented strike that targeted Iran’s nuclear and military sites.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon that posed an imminent threat to Israel.

Iran, for its part, insists it doesn’t want nuclear weapons. Israel is widely acknowledged to have nuclear weapons, though it has never publicly confirmed it.

Strikes by both countries continue as the conflict rumbles on into its second week, but the situation has taken on a new shape since Donald Trump ordered an attack on three nuclear sites in the early hours of Sunday.

A satellite view shows an overview of Fordo underground complex, after the US struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran on June 22 (Picture: Reuters)

The President said the strikes had ‘obliterated’ their targets in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan in an operation dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer.

The attack drew praise and condemnation. Saudi Arabia has voiced ‘great concern’ while Oman condemned the actions outright.

The UK, France and Germany have called on Iran to avoid taking any action that could further ‘destabilise’ the region.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the three European powers said Iran can never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon — despite US national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard’s recent assessment that Iran was not building one.

Late on Monday, June 23, Iran struck the US base at al-Udeid in Qatar, which had been evacuated hours earlier.

Donald Trump then took to Truth Social to announce a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. But the wording was unclear about when the ceasefire would take effect on either side.

Iranian state media confirmed a deal, but Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has already accused Iran of violating the agreement.

The situation is fast-moving and experts have said it is an uncertain and tense time for the world.

Meanwhile Palestinians continue to be targeted by Israeli forces in Gaza.

Israeli forces and drones opened fire towards hundreds of people waiting for aid trucks in central Gaza early on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. At least 25 have been killed, witnesses and hospitals said.

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