Qatar Airways to let barred passengers on US flights after ban blocked

Gulf carrier Qatar Airways will allow passengers barred from the United States (US) by President Donald Trump's recent executive order to resume boarding US-bound flights after a federal judge blocked the move, an airline spokeswoman said on Saturday.

US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) has advised Qatar Airways it can board travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries and all refugees who had been banned under the order, according to a statement on the airline's website.

A spokeswoman confirmed the airline would start accepting all passengers with valid travel documents. Trump on January 27 suspended the entry of nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and all refugees. 

The ban caught the airline industry off guard, with some carriers forced to re-roster flight crew in order to abide by the order.

The judge's temporary restraining order represents a major challenge to Trump's action, although his administration could still appeal the ruling and have the policy upheld.