News / Qatar Airways blames $69m loss on 'illegal' blockade by Gulf neighbours

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Qatar Airways has blamed a $69m loss on the “illegal” blockade imposed by its neighbours.

In what appears to be a transparent set of accounts, triggered by pressure from the US, the carrier reveals it was forced to cut 18 destinations and operating expenses rose 15% to $11.5bn as the carrier flew longer routes to avoid banned airspace.

Its cargo operations grew, however, with revenue up 34% to $2.4bn, with cargo accounting for more than 22% of the airline’s scheduled services revenue.

As at 31 March 2018, the ...