Morocco’s National Carrier Cancels Flights to Doha for World Cup Semifinal, Blames Qatar

Hundreds of Moroccan soccer fans who booked flights to Qatar to see their national team play in the semifinal of the World Cup will have to root the team on from their own homes after the national carrier Royal Air Maroc cancelled its Wednesday flights to Doha. The airline added 30 special flights between Casablanca and Doha after Morocco on Saturday beat Portugal to reach the semifinal, the first Arab and African country ever to do so. “Following the latest restrictions imposed by the Qatari authorities, Royal Air Maroc regrets to inform customers of the cancellation of their flights operated by Qatar Airways,” the airline said in a statement; the airline said it would refund money for the flights. The cancellations will affect about 2,100 fans, many who had already booked hotel rooms and purchased tickets, the AFP news service reported. Some 23 other flights will take off today from Casablanca to Doha according to the reports. Meanwhile, some fans arrived in Doha to find that they did not receive the match tickets that they had ordered. Qatari authorities at the beginning of the month dropped a requirement that arrivals in the country present a match ticket upon entry. Morocco will play France in the semifinals later today.