While thousands of travelers have been stranded in the Middle East due to war and airspace restrictions, one category of passengers has managed to return to Europe much faster: racehorses.
A total of 147 high-value racehorses, left in Doha after the cancellation of a leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour (March 4–7), have been transported to Belgium on two cargo planes urgently organized by Qatar Airways.
The operation took place under difficult conditions, as Qatar is operating with very few air corridors due to the war. However, returning the European champion horses home was considered a priority.
The horses, which can cost from 420,000 euros to over 1 million euros each, made up a cargo worth over 100 million euros. For security reasons, the planes departed empty from Doha to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where the horses were transported overland from Qatar under armed escort.
From Riyadh they were flown to Liège airport in Belgium, one of the most specialized airports in Europe for transporting racing animals.
The evacuation was organized this way because the owners and insurance companies did not want the planes to take off directly from Doha, as Qatari airspace is considered high-risk due to drone attacks in the region.
