Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha diverted to Mopa airport
PANAJI
With Iran launching missiles at the US base in Qatar on Monday night, a number of Gulf countries have closed their airspace and this has severely affected hundreds of passengers travelling between Goa and the Gulf.
According to media reports, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, have closed their airspace, amid rising tensions following an attack by Iran on the Al Udeid US military base in Doha.
At present, the flights that operate between Goa and these countries are Qatar Airways (Mopa-Doha), Air Arabia (Mopa-Sharjah), Gulf Air (Dabolim-Bahrain) and Air India Express (Dabolim-Dubai).
With Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE all shutting down their air spaces, hundreds of Goans planning to travel to and from these countries will be severely affected.
A Qatar Airways flight (QR989) from Melbourne to Doha was diverted to the Manohar International airport at Mopa. The Boeing 777-3DZ(ER) plane landed at Mopa airport at 1 am.
According to a report in the Travel and Tour World, commercial flights across the world which have transit stops in the Gulf or use the airspace are being cancelled, delayed, or rerouted.
This has prompted airlines, passengers, and tourism operators to scramble to realign itineraries, mitigate losses, and navigate what may be an escalating geopolitical crisis.
Meanwhile, several flights were delayed, cancelled or diverted at Cochin International Airport late Monday night after the closure of Qatar's airspace amid the rising tensions in the West Asia.
According to an airport spokesperson, an Air India Express flight that departed at 6.53 pm was diverted to Muscat.
Air India's Doha-bound flight, scheduled to leave at 12.53 am Tuesday, was cancelled.
A Qatar Airways flight due to arrive in Cochin at 2.53 am has been delayed, affecting its return leg as well.
An Air Arabia flight from Cochin to Abu Dhabi has also been delayed, the official said.
An Etihad flight from Cochin to Abu Dhabi is returning to the airport, the official added.
“As a result of the ongoing situation in the Middle East and suspension of Qatar airspace, Air India Express has diverted our Doha-bound flight from Kochi to Muscat and returned our flight bound from Kannur,” the airline said in a statement.
The airline said that it has no other flights bound for Qatar and no aircraft are on the ground in Qatar.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and will take all necessary precautions for the safety and security of our guests and crew, with inputs from the relevant authorities,” it added.
Air India Express operates 25 weekly flights to Qatar's capital, Doha. It has direct services to Doha from Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchchirappalli.
