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Qatar Airways has sent 20 of its largest aircraft to a site used for long-term storage, in a sign the airline is preparing for months of disruption across the Gulf.
The carrier has been transferring aircraft to Teruel airport in Spain, which specialises in heavy maintenance and long-term storage, in the past week.
It sent five more planes on Sunday, in addition to 15 already at the site, according to data from Flightradar24. Many are A380, A350 and Boeing 787 planes, among the largest in its fleet, which typically carry passengers to its Doha hub to transfer to onward flights.
The airline has been running a limited service, with much of its airspace affected by the conflict in Iran, which is now entering its fourth week.
It said the decision to move some aircraft out of the Gulf was a temporary move until its airspace was fully reopened.
“Due to the current situation in the region and the resulting disruption to flight operations, Qatar Airways has positioned some of its aircraft at selected airports outside Qatar,” the airline told the FT.
“This is a temporary measure, and the aircraft will be progressively returned to service as flight operations are restored to normal levels.”
Qatar Airways is currently operating less than a quarter of its normal services, making it the most affected of the major regional airlines.
While regional carriers Emirates and Etihad have resumed some scheduled flights from their bases in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Qatar’s efforts to restart have been held back by the closure of its airspace.
Qatar Airways told the FT it would resume operations “once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe, full reopening of Qatari airspace”.
Alejandro Ibrahim, general manager of Teruel airport, said the site had seen increased activity since the conflict began.
“We are getting more customers arriving with their aircraft,” he told a local television station last week. Airlines were “downsizing their fleets, revising their routes and trying to keep their aircraft in safer locations such as Europe”.
Teruel airport is used by the industry to store aircraft for extended periods during times of crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
It offered several services, said John Strickland, an aviation analyst, including temporary storage where engine intakes were covered, and “deep storage” for longer periods, when windows were also covered to prevent onboard electrical systems from overheating.
“It’s a great place to store planes knowing they’re not going to degrade, at least in terms of humidity,” he said.
Because of the age of the Qatar Airways fleet, it was unlikely the aircraft would be undergoing heavy maintenance at the site, he added.
The number of planes sent to Teruel “does suggest it could be potentially for longer storage”, Strickland said, with Qatar also taking an opportunity to “move key assets away from the risk of damage”.