Qatar Airways says evaluating air routes opened by boycotting countries

Qatar Airways is evaluating whether it will use air routes which media reports said were opened this week by countries embroiled in a political dispute with Qatar, the airline’s chief executive said on Wednesday.

Qatari-owned aircraft are blocked from using the airspace of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as part of economic sanctions enforced by the four countries in June.

Qatar Airways is looking at “the flexibility and benefit” of one “very short route” while another route off the Egyptian coast was “useless” to the airline, Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker, said at a Doha press conference.