Saudi Arabia and Qatar plan to restart cross-border flights for the first time in more than three years from January 11. Saudi Arabian Airlines will operate weekly flights from Jeddah and Riyadh to Doha, while Qatar Airways will resume flights to several destinations in the kingdom. This comes after Qatar and Saudi Arabia reopened their land border Saturday, Qatari sources told AFP, as they restore ties following a landmark deal to end a three and a half year rift. Qatar Airways said it will resume flights to Saudi Arabia on Monday, following an agreement to end more than three years of dispute between the two countries.
The national carriers of Qatar and Saudi Arabia have announced the resumption of air travel between the two countries starting next week, just days after a deal was reached to end a years-long regional diplomatic dispute.
A Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit on Tuesday declared an end to the bitter rift in which members Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain – along with Egypt – blockaded Qatar since June 2017. The group severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism, an accusation Doha vehemently denied.
Kuwait and the United States had been mediating for reconciliation.
On the eve of the 41st GCC summit held in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom agreed to reopen its air, sea and land borders with Qatar – a major breakthrough in the Gulf crisis.
KSA Flights Restart: Backlog of migrants to take a month to clear
It will take around a month to clear the backlog of some 10,500 Saudi Arabia-bound Bangladeshi expatriate workers who were stuck in the country due to the Gulf nation s two-week suspension of all international flights.
Saudi Arabia s General Authority of Civil Aviation yesterday announced the resumption of all international flights amid strict precautions against the new Covid-19 strain.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines will resume flights on three routes Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam from January 6, while Saudi Arabian Airlines will resume flights from January 5, said officials of the two airlines.