Taking Off: Qatar’s Strategic Rise in Global Aviation

Photo: Mustafa Turhan

For Qatar, an important development took place recently as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), approved the final phase of its own airspace, the Doha Flight Information Region (FIR). Covering the management of air traffic over international waters north of Qatar, this was a critical step towards achieving complete airspace modernization.

Since gaining independence in 1971, Qatar had relied on Bahrain for air navigation. Realizing the limitations of using the Bahrain Flight Information Region (FIR), Doha requested the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICA0) for its own airspace in 2018.

In 2023, the Doha FIR was demarcated and Qatar was finally on its way to air independence. Winning membership of the ICAO for the first time in 2022, Qatar was also elected chair of the ICAO’s Air Transport Committee in 2024. At this time, Qatar Airways operates more than 250 aircraft, connecting 170 destinations across six continents.

Doha’s Stakes in Global Aviation

Having snapped up a minority stake in Edinburgh Airport for $57.65 million, Qatar’s Lesha Bank recently clinched its first overseas infrastructure deal. Combined with the $537 million already spent on acquiring a fleet of Boeing 777 planes for commercial leasing, this move signals Doha’s rapidly growing clout in global aviation.

Last year, Qatar Airways reported record-breaking net profits of $1.7 billion and total revenues of $22.2 billion. Around the same time, Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) was voted in as the world’s Best Airport by Skytrax.

From airlines to airports, Qatar has unmistakably emerged as a major player in the aviation sector over the past years. But how far does its network extend and what prompted it to enter this field in which other Middle Eastern carriers had equally made their marks?

A Geo-Economic Strategy Forged in Crisis

During the 2017-2021 Gulf Diplomatic Rift, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt imposed a physical blockade on Qatar, cutting off key air, land and sea links. Rerouting flights over Iran in consequence, Qatar Airways incurred steep operational costs, while losing access to 18 regional destinations, including major destinations like Dubai and Riyadh through that period.

Operating in a geopolitically volatile neighborhood, and hosting the Al Udeid Air Base, a critical U.S. military hub, Qatar had no option but to accelerate its build-up of a fully self-sufficient aviation eco-system. At once, creating independent air corridors, developing safer routes, and acquiring full control of its airspace became crucial for Qatar.

Having acquired hard infrastructure, airports, fleets, tech systems, and upgraded its air defense, cyber, military, strategic autonomy, over the years, Qatar’s aviation sector has turned into much more than just transport, and it proved to be a catalyst for its economic transformation.

Khristo Ayad, a public diplomacy analyst based in Doha, believes the gravitas achieved is to be gauged beyond that of a commercial airline: “Not without drawing criticism due to state-backing, Qatar has developed HIA, the home-base of its national carrier, and one of the prime global aviation hubs today. The agility of both actors stood firmly, also in view of the global Covid-19 crisis. In Spring 2021, QA was seen to repurpose its passenger planes to shuttle food and medical supplies to regions hit hardest by the pandemic. When the Gulf’s political spat occurred, QA was quickly able to fly in thousands of cows, spectacularly securing the country’s vital dairy supply in almost a heartbeat.”

Infrastructure as a Strategic Asset

Beyond airline expansion, Qatar has been leveraging aviation infrastructure as a form of positioning. QA owns nearly 25% of the International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Vueling.

Having a 10% stake in the LATAM Airlines Group, 5% in China Southern Airlines, 25% in South Africa’s Airlink, 9.9% in Cathay Pacific, QA has gained approval to buy a 25 % stake in Virgin Australia. Beyond that, QA is supporting Rwanda’s national carrier and playing a key role in developing Kigali Airport into a regional African hub.

In addition, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund -the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA)- owns 20% of Heathrow Airport Holdings, making it the second-largest shareholder. QIA also holds interests in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, and airport assets in Italy, the U.S., and Rwanda.

In cargo, Qatar Airways has quietly become one of the top three global freight carriers, trailing only Emirates SkyCargo and Lufthansa Cargo. Its logistics strength helped minimize the blockade’s economic fallout and now plays a vital role in international supply chains.

Business and economics scholar Dr. Frank Himpel highlights: “The three key markets for global air transportation, both in regards to passengers and cargo, are Europe, North America, and Asia, together accounting for more than 80% of all global air movements. HIA serves as the hub for QA’s global network but is also a strategic stopover location for storage with relevance for air cargo transports. Pharmaceuticals and other cold-chain transports need to be moved in an entirely temperature-controlled environment. QA Cargo’s warehouses at HIA can store these goods. If such delicate products are to be transported from Asia to North America for instance, they can be securely routed via Doha’s HIA for repacking and re-icing.”

Diversification in Practice

Aviation is central to Qatar’s national development agenda. Well in line with its National Vision 2030 blueprint, the sector meanwhile supports objectives around tourism, trade, and overall economic diversification away from hydrocarbons only.

Despite intense regional competition, Qatar Airways now aims to serve 80 million passengers annually, though it considers slowing down its expansion after one more major aircraft order.

Opting for long-term success, the airline’s focus is shifting toward quality service and strategic partnerships with other airlines that can broaden its global footprint.

Navigating Geopolitical Turbulence

Qatar’s aviation ambitions, however, do remain exposed to geopolitical volatility. Regional conflicts could disrupt air routes. Tensions in the Red Sea or instability in the Eastern Mediterranean could likewise affect cargo and logistics operations.

Yet Doha’s likely reaction, leaning on experience, a robust, diversified portfolio, and international engagement, can be expected to at least weather future disruptions sufficiently well.