DOHA- San Francisco will see reduced Qatar Airways (QR) service next summer. Qatar has confirmed that it will cut its flights from Hamad International Airport, Doha (DOH), to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) by nearly 30 percent during the 2026 northern summer schedule.

From late March 2026, the oneworld member will operate five weekly flights between Hamad International Airport, Doha, and San Francisco, down from a previously planned daily service.

Qatar Airways Cut Flights to San Francisco

Qatar Airways launched flights to San Francisco in December 2020, an unusual debut given the global aviation slowdown at the time.

Since then, the route has almost always maintained daily operations, including during peak summer seasons affected by the pandemic.

That pattern will change next year, as services will operate only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

The reduction makes San Francisco the airline’s only US destination without a daily frequency and its least-served city in the country.

Flight timings remain designed for long-haul connectivity, particularly for passengers traveling onward to South Asia.

The outbound flight will depart Doha in the morning and arrive in California early afternoon local time, with the return sector operating later the same day.

Aircraft And Flight Schedule

Qatar Airways will continue to deploy the Airbus A350-1000 on the San Francisco route, offering a total of 327 seats per flight, reported Simple Flying.

The aircraft features a premium-heavy configuration, including 46 QSuite business class seats and 281 economy seats.

Despite the frequency cut, the airline has not announced any aircraft downgrade, suggesting confidence in premium demand. However, fewer weekly flights will result in a meaningful reduction in total available seats during the peak summer travel period.

For now, Qatar Airways still plans to resume daily operations during the winter 2026–27 season.

Whether the reduced schedule extends beyond summer will likely depend on commercial performance and competitive dynamics.

Demand And Performance

Traffic data shows signs of softening demand on the Doha–San Francisco route.

Passenger volumes declined slightly year-on-year during the 2025 peak summer period, while seat load factors also dipped, though they remained strong by international standards.

At the same time, Qatar Airways has faced growing competition on the route. Emirates continues to operate daily flights to San Francisco, while several European carriers maintain at least daily services, placing pressure on market share.

Reducing capacity may help Qatar Airways stabilize its load factors and improve yields, both of which are critical for the sustainability of its ultra-long-haul routes.

The adjustment also aligns with a broader trimming of the airline’s US network, which will reach its smallest peak summer footprint in 2026.

Bottom Line

Qatar Airways’ decision to cut San Francisco flights reflects a careful recalibration rather than a retreat from the US market.

The five-weekly experiment will test whether tighter capacity can restore route performance while preserving premium appeal.

Its outcome may influence future long-haul network planning across North America.

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