Virgin Australia has reinstated its Qatar Airways-operated long-haul services from Melbourne Airport, restoring double-daily flights to Doha as seat capacity between Australia and the Middle East continues its gradual recovery ahead of the northern summer peak.
The VA7 and VA8 services were suspended in February following the outbreak of war in the region, which also grounded Qatar Airways’ own schedule along with Emirates flights to Dubai and Etihad services to Abu Dhabi.
With safe air corridors now re-established, carriers are progressively restoring services into the key global hubs. Virgin Australia’s reinstated codeshare will run alongside Qatar Airways’ existing daily Doha service, while Emirates has confirmed it will restore its Melbourne-Dubai frequency from twice-daily to triple-daily from August.
The conflict’s impact on passenger numbers was evident in May data released by Melbourne Airport, with capacity reductions, airline fuel surcharges and household budget pressures all weighing on demand. A total of 2,752,755 passengers moved through the airport during the month – down three per cent year-on-year – with 726 fewer passenger flights operated compared to May 2025.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the restoration of stable schedules across the Middle Eastern hubs was positive news for both travellers and Victorian exporters.
“Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are some of the most important aviation hubs in the world, so we’ve been working closely with the airlines to bring capacity back online as soon as possible,” Argus said.
“Victoria relies on these services to connect our people and products with markets in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, so it’s encouraging to see more aircraft returning to these routes.”
Argus also flagged the impact of elevated fuel prices on domestic carriers, noting the airport was working with airlines to restore domestic capacity as quickly as possible. She pointed to Melbourne Airport’s ongoing international terminal expansion as a sign of long-term confidence, with the first phase – delivering a new baggage system and upgraded pick-up and drop-off facilities across Terminals 1, 2 and 3 – set to open later this year.
“While the ongoing global uncertainty is having a short-term impact on traveller volumes, we know we need to invest in the future and build for the long term,” she said.
On Smartraveller, much of the Middle East including stop-off destinations such as Qatar and Dubai are still marked as red.
The current safety rating means that, although travellers are flying through the Middle East, it opens them up to an unintended travel insurance void.
According to reports, some airlines such as Emirates and Etihad are working to develop their own insurance in a bid to lure passengers back.
