Passengers board a Qatar Airways flight. — VNA/VNS File Photo

HÀ NỘI — Qatar Airways has continued to cancel flights to and from Việt Nam due to the impact of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV).

The carrier cancelled a total of 13 flights to and from Việt Nam, including eight flights at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport (SGN) and five at Nội Bài International Airport (HAN), from March 3 to 1pm on March 5, affecting 2,565 passengers.

Regarding support policies, Qatar Airways will waive change fees for departure date adjustments within 14 days since the original departure date or offer refunds for the unused portion of tickets in accordance with regulations.

The policy applies to passengers holding tickets for travel between February 28 and March 10.

During this period, due to a surge in calls to its customer service centre, Qatar Airways has advised passengers with itineraries scheduled within the next 48 hours to contact the airline directly for assistance.

Passengers can proactively manage their bookings and make changes via the airline’s official website or mobile application, the airline said, adding that those who booked tickets through travel agencies or third-party platforms are requested to contact their issuing agents directly for support.

The CAAV has also updated information on several flight information regions (FIRs) affected by hostilities in the Middle East to help residents and travellers keep abreast of travel conditions.

As of March 3, FIRs fully closed include Bahrain, which was shut from 9.34pm (UTC) on March 2 to 4am (UTC) on March 3. Tehran closed its entire FIR until 8.30am (UTC) on March 3 while warning that the conflict area could expand to international waters in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Doha (Qatar) closed its entire FIR until 4am (UTC) on March 3. Jordan has closed its airspace daily from 3pm on the previous day to 6am the following day (UTC) during the period from March 2 to 5.

A restricted FIR with special measures has been applied to Emirates (OMAE – the United Arab Emirates), including partial FIR closures. Aircraft are only permitted to arrive and depart via designated waypoints while overflights are allowed solely in the westbound direction. — VNA/VNS