QR Cargo expands South America freighter network

Qatar Airways announces four new all-cargo destinations in Brazil, Chile, Peru and Colombia from January as its freighter fleet continues growing following arrival of airline’s 21st B777F.

Qatar Airways Cargo has announced a major expansion of its services in South America from January following the arrival of the airline’s 21st Boeing 777 freighter (B777F). 

Scheduled services to Campinas, Brazil (VCP), Santiago, Chile (SCL), Lima, Peru (LIM) and Bogotá, Colombia (BOG) will join the airline’s global freighter network on 16 January 2020 and will be serviced by a Boeing 777 freighter, boosting its network in the Americas that already includes 18 freighter and 13 belly-hold cargo destinations.

The twice-weekly flights to Bogotá from Doha will operate via Luxembourg and Miami, while the service from Bogotá to Doha will operate via Liège, each offering 100 tonnes of cargo capacity on each leg. The twice-weekly flights to Campinas from Doha will operate via Luxembourg with the service from Campinas to Doha, operating via Santiago, Lima, Dallas and Luxembourg, each also offering 100 tonnes of capacity on each leg.

These new destinations follow the arrival of the airline’s 21st new Boeing 777 freighter on 25 November, increasing the airline’s freighter fleet to 28 aircraft.

Qatar Airways Cargo also has an order for five additional Boeing 777 freighters, placed at the Paris Air Show 2019, with deliveries starting from April 2020 onwards.

Qatar Airways chief officer for cargo Guillaume Halleux said: “The Americas are a very important market for us and there is a huge demand for South American fresh produce in Asia. With the introduction of our twice-weekly Boeing 777 freighter services, we offer exporters in South America a direct route for their cargo and a global network. Importers also stand to gain from the huge capacity to bring in their cargo to South America.”

General cargo, pharmaceuticals, and perishables will form the majority of goods imported and exported to and from South America, along with some movements of live animals and high-value items like telecommunication equipment, electronics and other valuable cargo.

The cargo carrier’s network in the Americas includes 18 freighter and 13 belly-hold cargo destinations, and it recently completed a year of successful transpacific operations, where it operates four-times weekly freighters direct from Asia to North America.

Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker, said: “The addition of these four new routes in South America further reinforces our position as one of the world’s leading air cargo providers, operating one of the largest networks in the world with the youngest and most environmentally efficient fleet in the industry.”

Qatar Airways Cargo stressed that it had made substantial investment in its operations at its Doha hub and globally “to ensure all cargo deliveries are processed efficiently and seamlessly”, highlighting special facilities and trained personnel able to “ensure expert handling over a wide variety of product categories, such as express, livestock, valuables, perishables, oversized cargo and general cargo that require air freight carriage”.

Its specialist products include QR Pharma for pharmaceuticals, QR Fresh for perishables, QR Live for live animals, QR Express for time-sensitive cargo, QR Mail for postal consignments globally and QR Charter offering global charter solutions.

Source: Lloyd’s