Despite a recent decision by four neighboring countries to blockade Qatar, Qatar Airways says the vast majority of flights are operating as scheduled.

Gulf carriers including Etihad Airways, Emirates and Gulf Air suspended all flights to and from Doha (DOH) following the decision by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, the Maldives and Yemen to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, over alleged support for Islamist terrorist groups.

“As far as we are concerned, it is business as usual,” said Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer, Qatar Airways. “This blockade is unprecedented, and it is in direct contradiction to the convention that guarantees rights to civil overflight. We are not a political body, we are an airliner, and this blockade has stripped us of the rights which are guaranteed to us.”

The carrier is running smoothly and continuing its ambitious expansion plans which included a low-key launch of flights to Dublin (DUB) with services to Nice (NCE) and Skopje (SKP) set to follow in July, and other routes planned for 2018 to include Las Vegas (LAS), Canberra (CBR) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG).

Qatar flew approximately 1,200 flights from Doha to more than 150 destinations worldwide two weeks ago, with 90 percent of flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure time. The carrier increased operations of its global call center and social media to ensure concerned customers receive the best possible care, while extending its commercial policy to ensure greater flexibility for refunds and rebooking for travelers impacted by recent travel bans.

This week, Qatar is set to showcase its new Q-Suite business-class seat at the Paris Air Shower, before debuting the product on the Doha–London Heathrow (LHR) route later this month.