Qatar Airways has announced a significant reduction in its flight schedule to San Francisco, cutting its service from a daily operation to just five flights per week starting in March 2026. This decision comes shortly after Air India also ceased two ultra-long-haul routes to the same Northern California city. As a result, San Francisco will become Qatar Airways’ least-served destination in the United States.
Changes in Flight Operations
The service to San Francisco, which began in December 2020 during the pandemic, had previously maintained a daily frequency. From the end of March 2026, flights will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The flight QR737 is scheduled to depart Doha at 08:05 and arrive in San Francisco at 13:35 local time, with a return flight QR738 leaving at 17:55 and arriving the next day at 19:25 local time. The journey takes approximately 15 hours and 30 minutes each way.
To accommodate this revised schedule, Qatar Airways will continue using the Airbus A350-1000, featuring 46 QSuites and 281 economy seats, in a configuration designed for premium comfort. This aircraft is known for its lower capacity but higher premium layout compared to other A350-1000 models.
Traffic Trends and Market Dynamics
Recent data from the US Department of Transportation indicates that Qatar Airways transported 18,791 passengers round-trip to San Francisco in July 2025, reflecting a 3% decrease compared to the same month in 2024. Overall, the airline’s passenger volume in the United States also saw a reduction of approximately 5% during this period. The seat load factor for San Francisco flights dropped from an impressive 96% to a still strong 93%.
This decline in traffic has prompted the airline to reassess its operations, leading to a frequency reduction. While this may help improve load factors and yields, it could also diminish Qatar Airways’ competitive edge in a market where airlines like Emirates continue to operate daily services to San Francisco.
Despite these changes, Qatar Airways plans to reinstate daily service to San Francisco for the winter 2026/2027 season. If the five-weekly schedule proves successful, it may become a more permanent fixture.
Qatar Airways is also preparing for the peak summer month of July 2026 with its smallest weekly flight offering to the United States. The airline plans to operate a total of 103 weekly flights from Doha, down from 105 in July 2025 and significantly lower than 118 flights in July 2024. This reduction underscores a trend of decreasing service frequency.
As the airline navigates these challenges, the future of its San Francisco route remains uncertain. The impact of decreased capacity on market share and overall competitiveness will be closely monitored in the coming months.
