Qatar Airways to go ahead with Irish route plan

Qatar Airways’ plan to launch its first Irish route will go ahead on schedule and will be unaffected by four of Qatar’s Arab neighbours cutting diplomatic ties with the country.

Saudi Arabia — the only country to share a land border with Qatar — has closed the border, cut off trade and revoked Qatar Airways’ Saudi operating licence over allegations of Qatari support for extremist groups.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt have also cut ties with Qatar and have suspended all flights to and from the country.