Qatar begins to reroute flights through Saudi airspace

Qatar Airways operates flight to South Africa through Saudi airspace after more than 3-year suspension

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - Qatar Airways began to reroute flights through Saudi Arabia’s airspace late Thursday following the announcement of the end of a Gulf crisis.

A Qatar Airways plane used Saudi airspace on a flight to South Africa after a more than 3-year suspension.

“The first scheduled flight expected to be from Doha to Johannesburg at 20.45 on Jan. 7,” Qatar Airways announced on Twitter.

The company suspended flights using Saudi airspace after a crisis in the region began June 5, 2017.

The city of Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia hosted a Gulf Summit on Tuesday that saw the announcement of the end of the crisis between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a land, air and sea blockade on Qatar, claiming it supported terrorism.

Doha denied the charges and considered the move an attempt to undermine its sovereignty.

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