The Big Cut: Qatar Airways Slashes London Flights For Spring 2026

Why It Matters

The reduction reshapes London’s premium carrier landscape and frees valuable Heathrow slots for a rival, while signalling Qatar Airways’ strategic shift amid capacity pressures. It also affects thousands of connecting passengers who rely on Doha as a hub.

Key Takeaways

• 14% reduction in London departures spring 2026
• Heathrow flights cut by 11 weekly slots
• Gatwick retains 11 weekly flights through September
• 1.6 million London passengers connect via Doha annually
• Qatar likely returns slots to British Airways

Pulse Analysis

Qatar Airways’ decision to trim its London schedule reflects a broader industry trend of airlines recalibrating capacity in response to lingering post‑pandemic demand volatility and rising operating costs. By shedding 133 outbound flights in the spring, the carrier can better align aircraft utilization with load‑factor targets, especially on long‑haul A350 and A380 services that have struggled to fill seats consistently. The move also eases pressure on scarce Heathrow slots, a premium asset that carriers fiercely protect, allowing Qatar to re‑allocate resources to higher‑yield markets.

In the UK, the cut directly benefits British Airways, which stands to inherit the vacated Heathrow slots. BA can expand its own Doha‑London frequencies or repurpose the capacity for other high‑margin routes, strengthening its position within the oneworld alliance. For passengers, the reduction means fewer daily options, but the robust connecting traffic—over 1.6 million London‑Doha itineraries last year—suggests many will still find viable alternatives via BA or other carriers. Gatwick’s retained 11 weekly flights preserve a modest presence, ensuring the airline maintains a foothold at both major London airports.

Strategically, the schedule adjustment underscores Qatar’s evolving hub model. While Doha remains a pivotal transfer point for passengers from South Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania, the airline is likely prioritizing routes with stronger yield potential and exploring fleet optimisation, possibly shifting newer A350‑900s to underserved markets. Observers will watch how the slot reallocation influences competitive dynamics in Europe’s capital and whether similar capacity trims will appear across Qatar’s global network as it navigates a tightening aviation landscape.

The Big Cut: Qatar Airways Slashes London Flights For Spring 2026

By James Pearson · Published Feb 16, 2026, 6:00 AM EST

James lives and breathes route development. Educated in Air Transport Management at Loughborough University and Cranfield University, James has a PhD in airline strategy. James was Market Opportunity Analyst at London Luton Airport and Chief Analyst at anna.aero. He taught airline strategy and economics to undergraduate and postgraduate students for five years and has worked closely with multiple carriers on route and market intelligence projects. He is based near London, UK.

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Each week, airlines submit schedule changes to Cirium Diio, OAG, etc. In the latest update, Qatar Airways disclosed several changes to its global network. For example, it has suspended flights to Aleppo and reduced services to London, Peshawar, San Francisco, Sialkot, etc.

This article will focus entirely on changes to Qatar Airways' London operation. It is important to note that fellow one‑world member and close partner British Airways effectively serves Doha on the Qatari carrier's behalf. No changes are coming to BA's offering, with Doha far from being in that carrier's ten longest routes list.

Qatar Airways' London Changes

Qatar Airways serves both Heathrow and Gatwick. Until the most recent schedule update, it had planned 951 departures to London between April and June. However, it now has 818 outbound flights, a 14 % reduction. Qatar Airways also plans fewer London services from July to September, but the decrease there (3 %–5 %) will not be discussed further.

The airline's offering can vary depending on the specific week. For a randomly chosen week starting May 1, Qatar Airways now has 59 weekly departures to London, down from the 70 that were planned the previous week.

What Does The New Schedule Look Like?

In the week starting May 1:

• Gatwick will have 11 weekly departures (reduced from a planned double‑daily service). The route will retain 11 weekly flights through September.

• Heathrow now has 48 weekly departures, down from 59 – a reduction of nearly a fifth. It is believed the airline will hand back slots to BA.

Heathrow has lost 11 weekly flights (one to two daily flights). Gone are QR4 (arriving at 6:25 am) and QR5 (arriving at 10:00 pm), meaning two aircraft no longer remain overnight. Flying back to Doha, neither QR10 (departing at 9:00 am/10:50 am/11:00 am) nor QR106 (departing at 6:55 pm) are now available.

| Frequency | May 1‑7: Doha‑London (Local Times*) | Frequency | May 1‑7: London‑Doha (Local Times**) |

|-----------|------------------------------------|-----------|----------------------------------------|

| Daily | (Heathrow) 1:10 am‑6:25 am (A380) | Five weekly | (Heathrow) 8:05 am‑4:50 pm (A380/A350‑900) |

| Three weekly | (Heathrow) 1:15 am‑6:30 am (A350‑900) | Five weekly | (Heathrow) 8:25 am‑5:10 pm (A380) |

| Daily | (Gatwick) 1:35 am‑6:40 am (787‑9) | Daily | (Heathrow) 9:00 am‑5:45 pm (A350‑1000)*** |

| Two weekly | (Heathrow) 2:15 am‑7:30 am (777‑300ER) | Daily | (Gatwick) 9:00 am‑5:40 pm (787‑9) |

| Weekly | (Heathrow) 2:45 am‑8:00 am (777‑300ER) | Four weekly | (Gatwick) 2:55 pm‑11:35 pm (787‑9) |

| Three weekly | (Heathrow) 8:00 am‑1:15 pm (A350‑1000/777‑200LR/777‑300ER) | Three weekly | (Heathrow) 3:05 pm‑11:50 pm (A350‑1000/777‑200LR/777‑300ER) |

| Four weekly | (Gatwick) 8:20 am‑1:25 am (787‑9) | Four weekly | (Heathrow) 3:35 pm‑12:20 am+1 (A350‑1000/777‑300ER) |

| Four weekly | (Heathrow) 8:50 am‑2:05 pm (A350‑1000/777‑300ER) | Daily | (Heathrow) 4:00 pm‑12:45 am+1 (A350‑900) |

| Daily | (Heathrow) 8:55 am‑2:10 pm (A350‑900) | Three weekly | (Heathrow) 5:00 pm‑1:45 am+1 (777‑300ER) |

| Daily | (Heathrow) 12:45 pm‑6:00 pm (777‑200LR/777‑300ER) | Daily | (Heathrow) 7:25 pm‑4:10 am+1 (777‑200LR/777‑300ER) |

| Daily | (Heathrow) 3:10 pm‑8:25 pm (A350‑900) | Daily | (Heathrow) 9:55 pm‑6:40 am+1 (A350‑900) |

| Daily | (Heathrow) 4:55 pm‑10:10 pm (A350‑1000) | — | — |

| 59 weekly | * The latest plan, which is subject to change. Shown in Simple Flying’s new time format | 59 weekly | ** The latest plan, which is subject to change. Shown in Simple Flying’s new time format |

| | *** The aircraft that remained overnight |

Where London Passengers Went

According to booking data for the 12 months to November 2025, over 1.6 million Qatar Airways London passengers connected to another flight in Doha – more than 4,300 people daily. If Heathrow and Gatwick are combined, the top five country markets were India, Pakistan, Australia, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.

At the airport level, Gatwick’s ten most popular segments were Colombo, Bangkok, Melbourne, Phuket, Lahore, Sydney, Kochi, Islamabad, Male, and Brisbane. From Heathrow: Kathmandu, Colombo, Bangkok, Islamabad, Lahore, Manila, Kochi, Karachi, Phuket, and Jeddah. Ultra‑low‑cost carrier Wizz Air serves Gatwick‑Jeddah (and Medinah) with its A321XLRs.