Gulf carrier Qatar Airways has repeatedly found itself in the crossfire due to extremely restrictive regulations imposed on crews on days off. It has now been announced that the regulations will be significantly relaxed.

Just a few days ago, Badr Mohammed Al Meer replaced long-time company boss Akbar Al Baker. The new company management wants to usher in a kind of “new era” and is saying goodbye to many of the restrictive regulations that were imposed on flying personnel.

There has been repeated criticism that Qatar Airways has given its crews strict guidelines on how to behave during off-duty times. For example, it could happen that leaving the crew hotel was prohibited. There were also so-called “curfews” that were imposed.

In the first step, Qatar Airways wants to give its crews fewer requirements and give them more options to organize their free time - for example during business-related stays abroad. In the future, there will also no longer be the so-called “curfew hours”, which previously existed before days off and annual leave. According to company circles, these would have been lifted.

It remains to be seen whether further improvements in working conditions will follow. In the past, various TV documentaries have dealt with the fact that employee accommodation in Doha is set up with strict regulations.