British Airways has pushed back the restart of its suspended Doha and Riyadh services until 1 and 8 August respectively and will keep flights to Dubai, Bahrain, Tel Aviv and Amman on hold until at least 25 October, according to an industry fact-sheet issued by Reuters on Monday. The carrier, owned by IAG, is also trimming frequencies when the routes resume, reducing most Middle-East destinations to a single daily rotation and permanently dropping Jeddah from its network. The caution reflects continuing security concerns after renewed US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets last month, which prompted widespread airspace closures and insurance premium hikes. Several European rivals – including Lufthansa Group and Wizz Air – have likewise extended embargoes on Gulf and Levant destinations into the autumn, while others such as Air France and KLM are staggering resumptions.
![British Airways delays Doha and Riyadh relaunch as Middle-East flight disruptions persist]()
For travellers who still need to secure the right paperwork amid these shifting schedules, VisaHQ can simplify the visa process. Through its UK platform, the service offers real-time requirement updates, digital application tools and expert support for Middle-East destinations and many others, ensuring that last-minute route changes don’t derail critical business trips.
For corporate travel managers the ripple effects are immediate: premium cabin inventory between Heathrow and the Gulf will remain constrained during the peak oil-industry conference season, pushing fares higher and increasing pressure on alliance partners Qatar Airways and Oman Air. Travellers heading to onward connections in Asia may need to reroute via Istanbul, Muscat or European hubs, potentially triggering longer duty-time calculations under the Working Time Regulations. Insurance brokers report that kidnap-and-ransom premiums for personnel operating in Saudi Arabia and Qatar have jumped by up to 20 % since May, while war-risk surcharges on cargo to the region are also climbing. Firms with project staff in Doha’s tech free-zones or Riyadh’s construction corridor should review crisis-response plans and keep a watching brief on FCDO travel advice. BA says customers booked on affected flights can rebook or request refunds and that it continues to monitor route viability “on a daily basis”. The airline has retained its landing slots at both airports, indicating that resumptions could be accelerated if the security picture improves.
For travellers who still need to secure the right paperwork amid these shifting schedules, VisaHQ can simplify the visa process. Through its UK platform, the service offers real-time requirement updates, digital application tools and expert support for Middle-East destinations and many others, ensuring that last-minute route changes don’t derail critical business trips.
For corporate travel managers the ripple effects are immediate: premium cabin inventory between Heathrow and the Gulf will remain constrained during the peak oil-industry conference season, pushing fares higher and increasing pressure on alliance partners Qatar Airways and Oman Air. Travellers heading to onward connections in Asia may need to reroute via Istanbul, Muscat or European hubs, potentially triggering longer duty-time calculations under the Working Time Regulations. Insurance brokers report that kidnap-and-ransom premiums for personnel operating in Saudi Arabia and Qatar have jumped by up to 20 % since May, while war-risk surcharges on cargo to the region are also climbing. Firms with project staff in Doha’s tech free-zones or Riyadh’s construction corridor should review crisis-response plans and keep a watching brief on FCDO travel advice. BA says customers booked on affected flights can rebook or request refunds and that it continues to monitor route viability “on a daily basis”. The airline has retained its landing slots at both airports, indicating that resumptions could be accelerated if the security picture improves.
