20 Qatar Airways jets relocated to Spain storage site

Sends 5 additional jets to long-term storage facility in Spain as airspace disruptions persist.

Qatar Airways has moved 20 of its largest aircraft to a long-term storage facility in Teruel, Spain, signaling preparations for prolonged disruption across the Gulf region, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

Over the past week, the airline relocated several aircraft to Spain’s Teruel Airport, a facility known for heavy maintenance and long-term storage operations.

According to data from Flightradar24, the airline sent five additional aircraft on Sunday, bringing the total at the site to 20.

Many of the aircraft are Airbus A380, Airbus A350, and Boeing 787 jets, among the largest in its fleet, typically used to carry passengers to its Doha hub for onward connections.

The airline has been operating a limited schedule, as much of the region’s airspace has been affected by the ongoing war in Iran.

“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 Financial Times.

“This is a temporary measure, and the aircraft will be progressively returned to service as flight operations are restored to normal levels,” it added.

The move comes as US-Israeli strikes against Iran enter their fourth week, with Tehran retaliating with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

The strikes began on Feb. 28 and have reportedly killed some 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.