Welcome to my World Cup 2026 travel guide — a new one every match day, with three aviation facts about each country on the pitch. Day 3 is the first triple-header, and it might be the best aviation slate of the tournament: the world’s best-ranked airport, the world’s shortest flight, a route that launched five days ago for this World Cup — and the only country whose fans can’t fly there on a US airline.
Six countries today, and the no-flag-carrier theme from the first two days keeps rolling: Brazil and Switzerland both lost legendary national airlines — and one of today’s six never had its own to begin with. Let’s go.
🇶🇦 Qatar
Qatar Airways — a oneworld member and one of the largest international airlines on the planet, all from a country smaller than Connecticut. Its Doha hub, Hamad International (DOH), has been repeatedly ranked the world’s best airport by Skytrax. Not bad for a national team making its second World Cup appearance.
Qatar Airways blankets North America from Doha — its US gateways include New York,-JFK Washington-Dulles, Chicago-O’Hare, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston-Intercontinental, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Boston, and more, plus Montreal and Toronto in Canada. American Airlines partners closely with Qatar Airways, so oneworld connections flow through Doha to most of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Doha is built for the layover. Hamad’s indoor tropical garden (the ORCHARD), art installations, and transit hotel make it one of the few mega-hubs where connecting is genuinely pleasant — and Qatar offers stopover programs to turn your connection into a Doha visit.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
SWISS — but the story is the airline that came before it. Swissair was once so financially solid it was called “the flying bank”… until October 2001, when it ran out of cash and its entire fleet was grounded overnight. The collapse stunned Switzerland. SWISS rose from the wreckage in 2002 and is now part of the Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance.
SWISS carries most of the transatlantic traffic from its Zurich (ZRH) hub, serving a string of US gateways along with Geneva service, while leisure sister Edelweiss adds more. US carriers and Air Canada also connect to Zurich — check your preferred airline’s schedule, as some routes are seasonal.
Zurich Airport has a full railway station underneath the terminal — you can be on a train to almost anywhere in Switzerland within minutes of clearing customs. It’s consistently one of the most efficient arrival experiences in Europe.
🇧🇷 Brazil
Another lost legend. Varig was Brazil’s flag carrier for seven decades and one of the most respected airlines in the world — and it collapsed in 2006. Today Brazil has no national airline; instead, three private giants split the country: LATAM, GOL, and Azul, flying one of the biggest domestic markets on Earth.
Miami is the great gateway to Brazil — American’s hub there has been the bridge for decades — with LATAM, United, and Delta adding nonstops from multiple US cities to São Paulo and Rio, and GOL and Azul connecting Florida with Brazil. Air Canada links Toronto with São Paulo. São Paulo–Guarulhos (GRU) is South America’s busiest international hub.
If you make it to Rio, fly into Santos Dumont (SDU) at least once in your life — the downtown airport’s approach sweeps past Sugarloaf Mountain before landing on a short runway that juts into Guanabara Bay. One of the most spectacular arrivals in commercial aviation.
🇲🇦 Morocco
Royal Air Maroc, flying from Casablanca (CMN) — and in 2020 it became the first African airline ever to join the Oneworld alliance. After Morocco’s historic semifinal run in 2022, the airline is having a moment.
Here’s the freshest fact in this entire series: Royal Air Maroc launched Casablanca–Los Angeles on June 7 — five days ago — timed for this World Cup. It’s the first-ever nonstop between Morocco and the US West Coast, and it joins RAM’s existing New York JFK, Washington Dulles, and Miami routes, plus Montreal and Toronto from Canada.
Marrakech. The medina, the souks, the Atlas Mountains on the horizon — it’s one of those places that doesn’t look real the first time you see it. Casablanca’s hub makes the connection from anywhere in RAM’s network easy.
🇭🇹 Haiti
Sunrise Airways — the Haitian carrier that has kept the country connected through everything. Haiti is at its first World Cup since 1974, and the story of how its fans travel is unlike any other team’s in the tournament.
No US airline currently flies to Haiti. American, Spirit, and JetBlue all suspended Port-au-Prince service indefinitely after aircraft were struck by gunfire on approach in November 2024, and FAA restrictions on the capital’s airspace followed. The lifeline is Cap-Haïtien (CAP) in the north — connected to Miami — and Sunrise Airways, which resumed Port-au-Prince flights in April 2026. For Haitian fans, just getting to Boston for tonight’s match is a longer journey than most of the tournament’s travelers will ever face.
Boston is a fitting host city for this one: the Boston area is home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the United States. Tonight’s “away” crowd may sound a lot like a home one.
🏴 Scotland
Trick question, round three: Scotland competes as its own nation in football, but the flag carrier of the UK is British Airways. Scotland’s homegrown champion is Loganair, “Scotland’s airline” — and it holds one of aviation’s greatest records: the world’s shortest scheduled flight, hopping between the Orkney islands of Westray and Papa Westray in about 90 seconds. The flight is shorter than the safety briefing.
Edinburgh (EDI) is remarkably well connected for a city its size: Delta flies from New York JFK year-round plus Atlanta and Boston, United from Newark year-round plus Chicago and Washington, American from Philadelphia year-round plus a new JFK route that launched in March 2026 as American’s first international Airbus A321XLR service, JetBlue from Boston and JFK, and Virgin Atlantic from Orlando. From Canada: Air Canada from Montreal and Toronto, WestJet from Calgary, Halifax, and Toronto.
Edinburgh itself — castle on a volcanic crag, Old Town wynds, and if you time it for August, the Fringe turns the whole city into a stage. The approach over the Firth of Forth and its three famous bridges is a bonus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the national airline of Qatar?
Qatar Airways, a oneworld member based at Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) — one of the largest international airlines in the world.
Is Doha’s airport really the best in the world?
Hamad International has been repeatedly ranked the world’s best airport by Skytrax in recent years, known for its indoor garden, art collection, and transit hotel.
What happened to Swissair?
Swissair collapsed in October 2001, famously grounding its entire fleet overnight when it ran out of cash. SWISS was formed from its remains in 2002 and is now part of the Lufthansa Group.
What is the national airline of Switzerland?
SWISS (Swiss International Air Lines), a Star Alliance member based at Zurich (ZRH), with additional service from Geneva.
What happened to Varig?
Varig, Brazil’s flag carrier for some seven decades, collapsed in 2006. Brazil now has no national airline — LATAM, GOL, and Azul are the country’s three big private carriers.
Which airlines fly nonstop from the US to Brazil?
American (especially from its Miami hub), LATAM, United, and Delta fly nonstop to São Paulo and Rio from multiple US cities, while GOL and Azul connect Florida with Brazil.
Is there a nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Morocco?
Yes — as of June 7, 2026. Royal Air Maroc launched Casablanca–Los Angeles three times weekly with a Boeing 787, the first-ever nonstop between Morocco and the US West Coast.
What is the national airline of Morocco?
Royal Air Maroc, based in Casablanca (CMN). In 2020 it became the first African airline to join the Oneworld alliance.
Can you fly from the US to Haiti right now?
Not on a US airline — American, Spirit, and JetBlue suspended service indefinitely after aircraft were struck by gunfire near Port-au-Prince in November 2024. Haiti’s Sunrise Airways and regional carriers connect the country, with Cap-Haïtien (CAP) linked to Miami.
What is Haiti’s national airline?
Sunrise Airways, based in Haiti, which resumed Port-au-Prince flights in April 2026 and serves destinations around the Caribbean.
Does Scotland have its own national airline?
The UK’s flag carrier is British Airways, but Loganair — “Scotland’s airline” — is the homegrown carrier, famous for operating the world’s shortest scheduled flight between Westray and Papa Westray in Orkney, about 90 seconds in the air.
Which US cities have nonstop flights to Edinburgh?
New York (JFK and Newark), Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington Dulles, Atlanta, and Orlando — on Delta, United, American, JetBlue, and Virgin Atlantic. Some routes are seasonal.
Tomorrow’s matchday
The World Cup 2026 travel guide continues tomorrow with Day 4 — the biggest slate yet, with Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia, Türkiye, and the smallest nation ever to play at a World Cup. See you then.
Map routes with the Airline Network Explorer, check standby seat availability at FlightLoads, find rest options and lounge access with the Airport Sleep Finder, and go deeper with my Non-Rev Playbooks — all built by people who fly for a living.