Qatar Airways

Qatar has repeatedly denied allegations that it funds Hamas, pointing to the strict oversight governing its aid transfers.

Since then, Qatar has been frustrated by allegations leveled by Israeli political leaders that its payments to Gaza had helped finance the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. “All of Qatar’s financial assistance in Gaza has been directed to Palestinian citizens through mechanisms coordinated with the Israeli authorities and international partners. Under previous aid mechanisms, all financial assistance, as well as goods such as food, medicine and fuel, passed through Israel before entering Gaza,” a spokesperson for Qatar’s International Media Office tells TIME. “Nothing was delivered directly by Qatar; we provided the aid, while delivery was carried out by the United Nations’ organizations in coordination with the Israeli authorities. If any funding reached Hamas, as alleged by individuals and groups with political agendas against Qatar, the responsibility lies with Israel, which oversaw the delivery and created the mechanism.”

Update, May 22: The Department of Defense issued a statement on May 21 from Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell saying, “The Secretary of Defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations. The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States.” Industry experts estimated the plane’s value at $200 million, the New York Times reported.

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Matt Raos told an Australian Senate inquiry in September that such examinations of passengers would never be repeated.

Five Australian women have won the right to sue Qatar Airways for forcing them to undergo invasive physical examinations on a Doha airport tarmac in 2020 after a federal court upheld their appeal.

Five Australian women forced off Qatar Airways’ flights and subjected to invasive internal examinations have been awarded compensation after a David and Goliath legal fight.

The incident caused global headlines when more than a dozen women were hauled off a Qatar flight to Sydney and forced to undergo physical examinations in an ambulance on the airport tarmac, following the discovery of a newborn baby in a toilet cubicle at Hamad International Airport.

Qatar Airways pilots and hostesses allegedly knew why a flight was called back to the gates at Doha Airport before all women on board were ordered off the plane and subjected to invasive and degrading strip searches.

French far-left MEP Leïla Chaibi, who proposed the measure on Qatar-related files, blasted Qatar Airways for being “expert in aggressive lobbying and phishing of MPs." The EU-Qatar aviation deal, Chaibi also said, was now "grounded."

Qatar Airways is one of a number of airlines facing widespread lay-offs, as the company tries to mitigate against the economic downturn caused by the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, travel bans and quarantines. An Arab News report also accused the company of ageism in its hiring-and-firing policies as began its redundancy process.

In May 2020, Qatar Airways faced allegations of racial discrimination against South Asian cabin crew, who were "forced" to work on flights during the Covid-19 pandemic and suffered verbal racial abuse from management. By contrast, European staff did not receive the same treatment and were included in a "PR stunt" despite not working these flights.

Qatar Airways filed claims in 2021 against two anonymous critical accounts that had posted on PPRUNE - an internet forum used by airline pilots - citing that the accounts had shared sensitive information about the company's hiring and firing practices. One pilot was told by Google it had been subpoenaed to disclose his identity. Another pilot said they had overheard managers discussing the issue and said "they even go there and try to find people". Qatar Airways later dropped the case.

A Thomson Reuters Foundation investigation has found a pattern of lawsuits and redundancies at national carrier Qatar Airways that reportedly demonstrate growing efforts by the company to monitor employees' private online activity and silence criticism. Workers who vent work worries online say the company is retaliating with legal threats and job cuts.

Qatar Airways is facing an unprecedented wave of internal labor unrest as cabin crew members stage a coordinated mass "sickout" protest. The collective action, which represents a historic challenge for the state-owned carrier, has spilled over into operational delays at its primary hub, Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH).

Tens of thousands of international flight attendants employed with Qatar Airways reportedly took part in a coordinated “sickout” protest in collective action to signal disagreement with management financial decisions around bonuses, and effective pay cuts compounded by the geopolitical conflicts in the region. Flight attendants also reported concerns regarding working and living conditions with conditions around the mandatory corporate accommodations including digital tracking to enforce nighttime curfews and restrictive policies feeling like a “jail”.

Jason Hu’s family alleges Qatar Airways served him a sandwich containing allergens despite being informed of his severe allergies

Women working with Qatar Airways will not be sacked anymore if they get pregnant or marry within the first five years of employment. The airline company relaxed its rules after pressure from international labor groups.

Qatar Airways QCSC will skip handing out bonuses to almost 60,000 workers this year after the US-Israel war on Iran forced the carrier to cancel tens of thousands of flights and lose out on billions in revenue.

According to Qatar Airways, an airline that flies into Moscow, “flight planning and operational decisions are guided by rigorous and continuous monitoring of airspace security, safety assessments, and geopolitical developments, in close coordination with the relevant authorities”.

A North Carolina mother is suing Qatar Airways after her young daughter allegedly suffered a severe allergic reaction after a flight attendant ignored her warnings and served the child a candy bar containing dairy, according to a lawsuit.