Qatar, Bahrain set to resume flights

ByNews Desk- The Cradle 

Prior to the suspension of flights in 2017, Doha and Manama launched up to 93 flights a week between the two states

According to Arabic Sputnik, direct flights between Qatar and Bahrain resumed on 25 May following the recent resumption of relations between the two countries after six years of severed ties. 

The official websites of Qatar Airways and Bahraini Gulf Air disclosed that both Doha and Manama would be launching a single flight daily between the two Gulf states, which is a notable decrease when compared to before the suspension of flights in 2017. At the time, two airlines were launching up to 93 flights per week from both Arab countries.

The air route between Qatar and Bahrain extends to 148 km, with each flight approximately taking 45 minutes. It is the shortest route in Qatar Airways’ schedule, and the second fastest route for the Gulf airlines between Doha and Riyadh.

Like several other Arab States such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, Bahrain cut relations with Qatar over Doha’s support for extreme militant groups in the region, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS, Iranian-backed groups, and Al-Qaeda. Qatar was essentially involved in funding such extremists in Syria, Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia.

Bahrain specifically held Qatar accountable for “media incitement, support for armed terrorist activities, and funding linked to Iranian groups to carry out sabotage and spreading chaos in Bahrain,” as well as illegally launching cyber attacks against the former foreign minister of Manama, Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa.  

On 31 January, the Bahraini Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Mohammed al-Kaabi, initially announced that flights between Doha and Manama are set to resume “soon” during a parliamentary session. 

Despite bolstering relations between the two regional countries, Qatar excluded Bahrain from the 2022 World Cup, as flights between the Arab states remained suspended.

In June 2022, UAE National Security Adviser Tahnoun bin Zayed Al-Nahyan met with Qatar’s Emir to discuss advancing bilateral relations and several regional developments of common interest, days after Doha’s Emir visited Egypt for the first time since 2015.