Qatar Airways will serve more than 170 destinations during winter 2026–2027, with daily flights returning to Zanzibar and Canberra alongside frequency increases across Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas.
Zanzibar services will resume on October 25, 2026, while flights to Canberra via Melbourne will return on December 9. The wider expansion includes additional services to popular leisure destinations such as Phuket, the Maldives and Seychelles, plus four route resumptions in Saudi Arabia.
The airline plans nearly 1,800 weekly flights during December 2026, connecting passengers through its Doha hub at Hamad International Airport.
Daily Zanzibar flights return in October
Qatar Airways will restore daily flights to Zanzibar on October 25, adding another Indian Ocean destination to its winter schedule.
Elsewhere in Africa, Johannesburg will increase from 14 to 18 weekly flights from December 2. Seychelles services will rise from four to seven flights a week on March 1, 2027.
The additions will provide more options for passengers travelling to East Africa, South Africa and the Indian Ocean islands through Doha.
More flights to Thailand, the Maldives and Vietnam
Both Phuket and Malé will receive three daily Qatar Airways flights from October 25. Phuket services will increase from 14 to 21 weekly departures, while Malé will rise from 12 to 21.
Ho Chi Minh City will move from seven to 11 weekly services on November 7, with the reintroduction of four direct weekly flights from Doha. The existing service linking Doha, Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh will continue.
Kuala Lumpur will be served by 18 weekly Qatar Airways flights from October 25, alongside 14 weekly flights between the Malaysian capital and Doha operated by oneworld partner Malaysia Airlines.
Canberra returns via Melbourne in December
Daily flights to Canberra will resume on December 9, operating via Melbourne. On the same date, Qatar Airways will increase its Melbourne schedule from seven to 14 weekly services.
Virgin Australia will also expand its Doha services in partnership with Qatar Airways from December. Its Sydney schedule will rise from seven to 14 weekly flights, bringing the two airlines’ combined total to 21.
Virgin Australia will restart Brisbane–Doha with three weekly flights and Perth–Doha with four. Including Qatar Airways’ services, the routes will offer 10 and 11 weekly flights respectively.
Heathrow rises to eight daily flights
Qatar Airways will increase London Heathrow services from 49 to 56 flights a week from October 25, equivalent to eight daily departures. British Airways will continue to provide a further daily London–Doha service as a codeshare partner.
Frankfurt will increase from 18 to 21 weekly flights on December 7.
In Canada, Montréal will move from five weekly flights to a daily service from October 25. Qatar Airways said the additional flights respond to demand for travel to Canada from the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East.
Four Saudi Arabian routes to resume
Qatar Airways will restore four destinations in Saudi Arabia, each with two weekly flights:
- Qassim: October 25, 2026
- Taif: October 31, 2026
- Yanbu: January 2, 2027
- Tabuk: January 3, 2027
The resumptions will bring the airline’s Saudi network to 12 destinations, with more than 155 weekly flights. According to Qatar Airways, this represents an increase of more than 10% compared with its summer schedule.
Starlink rollout accompanies network growth
Alongside the schedule expansion, Qatar Airways is extending Starlink connectivity across its network. The airline says more than 150 widebody aircraft are equipped with the technology, supporting up to 340 Starlink-enabled flights each day.
Bookings for the winter schedule are available through the airline’s website and mobile app.
