Flight ban to Qatar begins

Egypt, one of the several countries that cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, has closed its airspace to Qatari planes as of 04:00 GMT on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are expected to follow Egypt and close their airspace on Tuesday as well, reports the BBC.

Qatari planes heading west will have to take longer routes, inevitably leading to longer flight times. An official from Somali speaking to the Associated Press news agency said the number of Qatari planes using Somali’s airspace have risen sharply on Monday.

Airlines affected by the flight ban will include Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates. Travel disruption is expected in Doha’s Hamad International Airport, one of the largest airports in the region.