Qatar Airways Cuts London Services, Reduces Warsaw Flights in Spring 2026 Schedule
Qatar Airways is dialing back capacity across parts of its European network for spring 2026, with a notable reduction in departures to London and a pared-back schedule to Warsaw. The changes, reflected in recent schedule updates and booking-system adjustments, will alter weekly options for travellers transiting Doha.
London: Heathrow-heavy operations trimmed
Between April and June 2026 (ET), the carrier has scaled back planned departures to London from 951 to 818 — a 14% reduction. For the week starting May 1, 2026 (ET), the airline now shows 59 weekly departures to London, down from a recently advertised 70-weekly schedule.
The two-London operation remains split between Heathrow and Gatwick, but the bulk of the cuts fall at Heathrow. Heathrow departures drop to 48 weekly from 59 in the earlier plan, a reduction of roughly one-fifth and 11 weekly flights overall. Industry observers expect some of the freed Heathrow capacity will be returned to a close European partner, easing airport slot pressure.
Gatwick's offering has been reduced more dramatically relative to earlier summer plans: the route is scheduled at 11 weekly return flights instead of the previously envisaged double-daily service. The Gatwick pattern preserves a fully daytime service on several days of the week, but the move signals a tighter narrowbody deployment on that airport pairing.
Fleet mix on remaining London services will continue to vary. The airline plans a mix of widebody equipment on Heathrow routes and twin‑aisle Boeing 787 operations on Gatwick rotations where frequencies remain.
warsaw flights cut to 12 weekly; Venice and other European adjustments
European frequency shifts go beyond the UK. Warsaw will see its services reduced to 12 weekly departures operated by an Airbus A330-300, replacing a previously listed double-daily rhythm. The change removes a fully daytime option on Monday and Wednesday, tightening connectivity for some business travellers and frequent flyers who prefer daytime rotations.
Other regional adjustments include capacity trims on routes such as Venice, where an A350 deployment last summer has been replaced with a smaller narrowbody on current filings. Overall, the carrier's European footprint shows a modest contraction year‑on‑year in 2026: flight numbers and seat capacity are down in low-single digits versus the prior year, driven in part by suspended services to several secondary European cities.
What this means for passengers and connectivity
Passengers planning travel Doha should review bookings as schedules settle. Reduced frequencies to major European gateways may increase minimum connection times for some itineraries or limit same‑day return options. The network reshuffle comes amid continued growth on long‑haul markets to South America and Africa, suggesting the airline is reallocating aircraft and crew to routes showing stronger demand.
For travellers specifically affected by the London and Warsaw changes: expect fewer daytime choices on some days, potential aircraft swaps, and limited seat availability on peak services. Those with flexible travel dates may find alternative routings on partner carriers operating between the two capitals and Doha.
At present it is not clear where all of the freed capacity will be redeployed; network planning indicates a cautious approach in Europe while selectively growing into higher‑demand leisure and long‑haul markets.
Passengers are advised to check their itineraries in the coming weeks as the airline finalises timetables for the spring and summer 2026 seasons.
