Qatar adds non-stops, boosts cargo facilities

Friday, 15 September 2006

Zaeni Hamada, Qatar Airways regional cargo manager Far East & Australasia, said the carrier is aggressively growing its passenger fleet and studying a number of possible new destinations.

"One particularly promising development is that we are planning to commence non-stop operations from Doha to the East Coast of the US later this year. This will represent a great opportunity for both the passenger and cargo operations at Qatar Airways."

He said that extra capacity to Osaka and Bangkok was another extremely positive development. "Obviously, we can offer more capacity to our customers in those high-demand markets. Couple this with our increased capacity across the network in general and we are able to offer better connections and onward capacity to all customers."

Hamada said Qatar Airways Cargo would have its second Airbus A300 freighter by mid December 2006 "and we are currently evaluating options to further expand our freighter capacity in the near future".

Further benefits will be gained from a migration project transitioning to the new Oryx Cargo System. This system is based on Softair’s Cargo Spot system that will provide much greater day-to-day visibility of shipments, greater flexibility, and easier access for all users.

Hamada said the airline recognised that one of its major challenges was the tight capacity situation at Doha airport

"We recognise this challenge and are actively addressing the issue from a number of angles. We have an expansion project underway for our existing cargo warehouse which will open in November 2006. This project will significantly improve our perishable handling areas, increase the warehouse space and see a new CCTV security system installed.

"Additionally, we have been updating our internal handling procedures to improve the utilisation of our existing assets and personnel with the goal of providing better service for our customers."

Construction of the new Doha International Airport is underway and Hamada said the development "will ensure we have state-of-the-art cargo handling and storage facilities".

"This facility, ready in 2009, will offer automated ULD transfer, a very large perishable handling centre, a live animal centre, and the ability for quick ramp to truck transfer. The growth of Qatar Airways’ cargo fleet, coupled with this new facility, will be the key on our journey to becoming one of the world’s premier air cargo handlers."

Hamada said that being located at a historic crossroad in the world’s trade flows was one of our prime advantages that Qatar had harnessed successfully.

"With our hub located in Doha, we can connect the majority of key destinations within Asia, Europe, and Africa smoothly and efficiently. As Qatar continues to develop, with over US$75 billion of announced infrastructure improvements over the next five years, the demand for imports and exports to the country will grow significantly.

"A growing population, broadening industry base and expanding economy drives the need for airfreight in different ways. Demand for perishables, specialised equipment, high-value electronics, and courier shipments to Doha are growing at an astonishing pace," he said.