Qatar Airways, the state-owned flag carrier of Qatar, has announced that it will be temporarily deferring half the basic monthly salaries of mid-level staff and above. The deferral will start in April and last three months, although the airline also raised the possibility of extending the deferral further if the economic situation does not improve.

In its April 21 statement, the airline said that only its Doha-based staff will be affected by the measure, and that the deferred pay will be made up "as soon as possible when circumstances allow". Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker, who is forgoing his own salary since March until operations return to normal, also said: "Many other work groups overseas and across all job levels have also offered to take voluntary salary deferrals in solidarity with their colleagues."

Qatar Airways employs 46,000 people globally, the majority located in Doha. While the airline is still operating regular passenger services, its business has been no less affected by the COVID-19 pandemic than its counterparts in other countries. Earlier in the month, the airline had temporarily reduced its staff at Hamad International Airport by 40 percent due to a significant drop in passenger numbers.