"A Master Class In How Not To Do IROPS": Qatar Airways Passenger Weighs In On Doha Chaos
The ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East has posed a significant challenge for airlines flying to, from, and within the region in recent days, with carriers having to come to terms with multiple airspace closures, often at short notice. Qatar Airways has been among the most heavily hit by these alterations, with significant disruption impacting its flights at 
Doha Hamad International Airport.
Qatar Airways
- Airline Type
- Full Service Carrier
- Year Founded
- 1993
- Alliance
- oneworld
- CEO
- Badr Mohammed Al Meer
Yesterday evening, an airspace closure forced Qatar Airways to temporarily suspend operations, with Doha-bound services that were already in the air forced to divert. While this suspension only ended up lasting a few hours, it has caused a considerable backlog of disruption at the airline's Doha hub. Simple Flying has received correspondence from an impacted passenger caught in the chaos.
Huge Demand At Qatar Airways' Transfer Desks
Photo: Anonymous
The passenger in question was flying in business class, and told Simple Flying that the photograph above is the current situation at Qatar Airways' transfer desks at Doha Hamad International Airport. Considering that the image was taken some 14 hours after the situation first arose, this illustrates the sheer scale of the disruption, as well as the fact that the chaos is unlikely to die down any time soon.
Some in the queue are said to have already been in line for eight hours, although the passenger from whom Simple Flying received correspondence fared better. They said that they only had to wait a couple of hours, having "stood in a line from 02:00 to 04:30," although they acknowledged that that "was pretty early on", adding that "they are taking longer now and show no signs of abating." They explained that:
"When the airspace originally closed, all the flights just stayed on the board as the times went by without even saying [that they were] delayed. We actually found out about the situation from texts from friends. I was on a flight at 07:50, which disappeared from the board around lunchtime with no communication. Flighty told me where the gate was, [so I] boarded onto a bus, and the flight has just been cancelled in front of us."
Qatar Airways' Communication Has Reportedly Been Minimal
Photo: Anonymous
As alluded to above, guests are finding that the information being provided by the airline under the circumstances has been minimal and insufficient. They explained that "Qatar Airways has given basically no communication and has offered us nothing," and that, after the cancellation, they were "left on the tarmac for 30 minutes in the bus [before] being driven back to the terminal [and] the queues."
Of course, such an extreme operational situation would be difficult to overcome for any airline, but particularly for one the size of Qatar Airways, whose main base serves as a transit hub for passengers traveling from all over the world. Still, the passenger in question found the carrier's response to be lacking, and even went as far as to call it "a masterclass in how not to do IROPS [Irregular Operations]."
The fact that Qatar Airways' transfer desks at Doha Hamad International Airport have become so severely swamped by disrupted passengers amid the ongoing situation is likely due to the fact that passengers cannot rebook themselves. Indeed, the guest who provided correspondence to Simple Flying explained that "no proactive rebooking" has been offered, and neither has "self-service in apps."
Related
Multiple Doha & Dubai-Bound Flights Divert Due To Middle East Conflict
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Qatar's Airspace Closure: The Story So Far
Photo: Anonymous
Earlier yesterday, Qatar's airspace was closed following warnings from the UK and US governments for citizens in the country to shelter in place due to a potential Iranian military response on US bases in Qatar following American air strikes on targets in Iran. Qatar Airways confirmed at the time that it was "working closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support passengers."
The airline added that "once usual operations resume, we anticipate significant delays to our flight schedule." The airspace ended up being closed for a few hours, with Qatar Airways announcing overnight that "our focus at this time is to help our passengers return home or reach their onward journey safely and smoothly."
Still, as evidenced by today's reports, the hiatus has caused considerable operational disruption that shows little to no signs of abating any time soon. According to FlightAware, more than 100 flights in each direction were delayed at Doha Hamad International yesterday, with cancellations also hitting the airport.