Qatar: Edinburgh to Doha flight QTR59F turns back to Scotland as explosions heard in Doha — qatar-bound plane returns
A Qatar Airways jet en route from Edinburgh Airport to Doha made a mid-air U-turn and is returning to Scotland, a disruption that followed reports of missiles being intercepted above Qatar and explosions heard as far away as Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. The episode unfolded on Saturday after the aircraft had already crossed continental Europe.
Flight QTR59F departed Edinburgh at around 7. 50am ET and reversed course
The Qatar Airways flight QTR59F departed from Edinburgh Airport at around 7. 50am ET on Saturday, February 28 and was scheduled to land in Doha later this evening. The aircraft, a Boeing 787, diverted and began backtracking to Scotland after making a full 180-degree turn while over Germany.
Flightradar tracking shows the plane had travelled south over England, crossed the North Sea, flown over Amsterdam and made it halfway across Germany before executing the sharp turn and heading once again for Edinburgh.
Explosions reported in Doha and intercepted missiles above Qatar
The turn follows reports that missiles were intercepted above Qatar, with explosions heard as far as Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia, and explosions reportedly heard in Qatar itself. A breaking news update read: "New explosions have been reported in Doha. This comes shortly after Qatar’s defence ministry said it had downed all missiles targeting the country in a 'second wave' of attacks. "
Qatar Airways approached for comment as flight disruption unfolds
Qatar Airways has been approached for comment about QTR59F and the diversion. The carrier’s scheduled landing for the flight had been later in the day, but the Boeing 787 is now on a return trajectory to Scotland while authorities and monitoring services track the situation.
Related local Edinburgh items running alongside breaking coverage
The news feed that carried the flight update also ran a separate local story noting that an Edinburgh nursery closed suddenly, with furious parents given "less than a day's notice. " Another local bulletin described a "much-loved" Edinburgh family home joining the market for the first time in over 50 years.
Editors indicated they will bring more information and updates as they become available and invited readers to follow developments on social media for the latest news.
Multiple sports bulletins appeared amid the breaking story
Alongside the aviation and security updates, the feed listed a number of sports events: Emanuel Navarette and Eduardo Nunez will meet in the ring this weekend in Arizona; there is also Emanuel Navarrete versus Eduardo "Sugar" Nunez live coverage for a fight card on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.
Additional listings included RAF 6 results and round-by-round updates for the Henry Cejudo vs. Urijah Faber wrestling card on Saturday in Tempe, Arizona; UFC Mexico live results and round-by-round updates for the Brandon Moreno vs. Lone'er Kavanagh fight card on Saturday in Mexico City; and a note that WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 marks the final WWE premium live event before WrestleMania 42 in April, with live updates from tonight's event.
The feed also carried commentary that even as U. S. women bring home more Olympic gold, many say the recognition still hasn't caught up, and that whatever goodwill Hughes had built with the dedicated fandom seems to have dissipated following Team USA's gold medal win last Sunday.
