The opening of Doha's new Hamad International Airport on April 1 was postponed hours before the first Qatar Airways flight was scheduled to land there.

The cancellation was announced after the airport failed to meet safety standards set by the Gulf state's Department of Civil Defence. Chairman of the New Doha International Airport Steering Committee Abdul Aziz Al Nuaimi said a new opening date will be announced within the next few days. A communiqué sent to travel agents by Flydubai, another of the ten airlines that had planned to move to the new airport on Monday, said the carrier "with immediate effect will move all its operations back to Doha International airport."