Qatar Airways to cut capacity during Doha runway works

qatar airways will temporarily reduce global capacity as Hamad International Airport performs runway maintenance, a move that will compress operations at its Doha hub and produce seat and frequency cuts on major routes. The adjustments are timed to the single-runway window at Hamad and are intended to protect schedule integrity during the works.

Qatar Airways confirms single-runway window at Hamad International

The carrier says planned runway maintenance at Hamad International will leave the airport operating with a single runway between April 13 and June 13, instead of two. The airline described the upgrades as essential elements of a long-term infrastructure programme and said the work is scheduled for completion by early June 2026. The carrier framed the service changes as part of its regular network planning process to align with the planned works.

Planned 8. 2% capacity reduction and peak timing

Capacity planning data show an overall reduction of roughly 8. 2% between the first week of April and the first week of May, the period when runway works are expected to be at their most intensive. The airline has already factored the changes into its network planning, with the bulk of the cuts concentrated while the single-runway window is in effect.

Largest seat losses on London Heathrow, Colombo and Paris CDG

For specific routes, the biggest weekly seat reductions include London Heathrow, down 4, 818 seats (22. 2%), with weekly flights trimmed from 66 to 48. Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo will see 2, 267 fewer seats (26. 5%), and Paris Charles de Gaulle will lose 2, 025 seats (19. 9%). Both Colombo and Paris services will be reduced from four daily flights to three, reflecting the carrier's move to cut frequency rather than preserve high-frequency schedules that could create congestion.

Temporary UK changes and wider route impacts

Separately, the carrier has announced cuts to UK flying that include a roughly 8% reduction in scheduled flights for July on some timetables, with London Gatwick among the hardest hit — flights there drop almost a quarter from 62 to 48. Manchester services are set to fall by about 16% over the course of the month, from 111 flights to 93. Other departures affected include Johannesburg OR Tambo, Venice Marco Polo, Peshawar and San Francisco. Data for the first quarter of 2026 show seats scheduled on flights from Doha to the UK are currently up about 4% compared with the same period a year earlier; Ireland has seen the largest increase, of more than 40%, while Bulgaria (-45. 2%), Hungary (-47. 8%), Belgium (-26. 2%) and France (-15. 1%) have registered declines in seat bookings.

Operational rationale, schedule integrity and traveller guidance

Airport runway limits will reduce the number of aircraft movements available per hour, and the airline has opted for frequency adjustments to preserve schedule integrity and reduce the risk of delay and congestion. Network recalibration is a common step for hub carriers when extensive infrastructure work is underway, and the airline expects dual-runway operations to resume before the northern-hemisphere summer. The maintenance window will constrain operations between April 13 and June 13, and passengers intending to travel in April or May 2026 Doha are advised to plan bookings with the reduced schedules in mind.