Qatar and Saudi Arabia to resume direct flights

CAIRO (Reuters) – Qatar Airways and Saudi Airways will resume flights between Doha and Riyadh from Monday in a reopening of airspace as component of a political rapprochement in a a few-year-aged dispute.

Qatar Airways said by using Twitter on Saturday it will resume flights to Riyadh on Monday, Jeddah from Jan. 14, and Dammam from Jan. 16. It mentioned the flights would be with broad-entire body planes like the Boeing 777-300, Boeing 787-8 and Airbus A350.

“We also glance ahead to resuming a robust partnership with our trade and cargo partners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as effectively as the major airports in the region,” the airline added on Twitter.

Saudi Airways (Saudia) also tweeted that it too would resume flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to Doha from Monday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a diplomatic, trade and travel embargo on Qatar in mid-2017 accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar denied that and reported the embargo was meant to undermine its sovereignty.

Saudi Arabia and its three Arab allies agreed to restore comprehensive ties with Doha at a summit in the kingdom on Tuesday.