On January 20, 2021, Qatar Airways announced that it would resume flights to the United Arab Emirates from January 27, 2021, as the UAE agreed to open its airspace to the state of Qatar during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) earlier in the month.
Qatar Airways will start with two daily services to Dubai International Airport (DXB) from January 27, 2021, and will follow with daily flights to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) from January 28, 2021.
#QatarAirways announces it will resume flights to #UAE, starting with services to #DubaiDXB on 27 January 2021, followed by #AbuDhabi on 28 January. pic.twitter.com/YYXFmjGL1x
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) January 20, 2021
The airline will return to the United Arab Emirates after Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain restored diplomatic relations with Qatar during the GCC summit.
On January 4, 2021, Saudi Arabia and Qatar agreed to re-open airspace, sea and land borders for the first time after a three year long blockade. The sanctions on Qatari aircraft, known as the Gulf Blockade, were imposed after Qatar was accused of supporting terrorism by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain as well as Egypt in June 2017.
On January 18, 2021, Qatar Airways resumed flights to Egypt with a daily service. Flight, registered as QR1301, departed from Hamad International Airport (DOH) and landed at Cairo International Airport (CAI). The flight was operated by Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.