5 days ago
Long Queues, Stranded Passengers At Doha, Dubai Airports As Airlines Cancel Flights
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The disruptions followed the temporary closure of airspace over Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait after Iran's missile strike on a US military base in Doha.
Operations at Doha's Hamad International Airport and Dubai International Airport descended into chaos as thousands of passengers faced hours-long delays, flight cancellations and overcrowded terminals. The disruptions followed the temporary closure of airspace over Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait after Iran's missile strike on a US military base in Doha.
The closures forced major airlines to cancel or reroute hundreds of flights creating a massive backlog of stranded travelers. At least 250 flights were cancelled and over 230 delayed in Doha while Dubai International saw more than 140 cancellations and 450 delays, according to data from FlightRadar24.
Virgin Australia estimated that over 25,000 passengers were stranded at Hamad International alone while Qatar Airways said it was working to restore its schedule, though disruptions are expected to continue until at least June 26.
Videos shared widely on social media showed long lines at terminals, exhausted passengers sleeping on the floor and heated arguments as frustrated travelers waited without clear information.
@qatarairways the economy passengers are also humans. At least have more desks at airport to cater for thousands of transit passengers. #Doha #DohaAirport #doha_qatar — Shahid Farid (@Shahid_farid19) June 24, 2025
At Doha airport, a queue stretched over 200 meters, with minimal food or water available for those in line as a passenger told Reuters, 'I haven't slept for 19 hours. And I've been in this line over nine hours. They only gave us water."
'It's very frustrating," Julien Moutte, a Paris-bound traveler stuck at Doha airport for 15 hours, said, continuing, 'There's no clear communication, and people are just left waiting."
Current situation at Dubai International are suspending flights to Dubai, Doha over travel warnings after Iran attacked U.S. based in Qatar.
— Dennis Okari (@DennisOkari) June 23, 2025
The Middle East serves as a critical transit hub between Europe and Asia owing to which airlines including British Airways, Lufthansa, Air India and flydubai adjusted or suspended routes, citing safety concerns and airspace congestion.
First Published:
June 24, 2025, 19:45 IST
