Doha airport has overtaken Dubai as the most prominent hub in the Middle East.

This is according to findings published by travel data and analytics company, ForwardKeys.

The number of air tickets sold in the first half of the year for travel through Qatar was 18% higher than at the Dubai hub, with bookings indicating the trend will likely continue.

A factor in Doha airport overtaking Dubai is the lifting of a blockade of flights to and from Qatar, imposed in 2017 by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt when Qatar was accused of sponsoring terrorism.

“Without the blockade, which encouraged the establishment of new routes as a strategy to replace lost traffic, perhaps we would not have seen Doha charging past Dubai,” stated Olivier Ponti, VP of insights for ForwardKeys. “So, it seems that the seeds of Doha’s relative success were, ironically, sown by the adverse actions of its neighbours. 

“However, one needs to bear in mind that flights through the Middle East during H1 2021 were still 81% below pre-pandemic levels. So, as the recovery gathers pace, the picture could change significantly,” he added.

In addition, inbound travel to the UAE from 16 countries remains suspended until further notice, says the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Among the countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, Liberia, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Zambia, reports Khaleej Times.

According to the GCAA: “The current development on the Covid- 19 pandemic leads the UAE to impose new flight and passengers’ restrictions. The UAE government is closely monitoring the situation and will provide further updates and instructions as necessary.”

Within a new safety decision circular by the GCAA are a series of protocols for Emirati passengers who test positive for coronavirus or have been in contact with someone with the virus.

“Confirmed Covid-19 patients or those who have come in close contact with Covid-19 patients should generally remain in place and not travel until they meet the criteria for discontinuing isolation or quarantine period based on national protocol of the country they are in,” according to the circular.

“This includes UAE national passengers who wish to return home or those planning to travel to other countries.”