Qatar Airways Cargo is playing a crucial role in ensuring continuity of global business and trade. The airline has introduced additional flights to and from Scandinavian cities Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, offering freight capacity for local exports amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Five additional Airbus A350 freight only passenger aircraft have been introduced each week to the carrier’s existing thrice-weekly belly-hold passenger flights in Copenhagen, Denmark, bringing the total weekly cargo capacity to more than 500 tonnes each way.
On Sunday, the cargo carrier announced to introduce an air bridge between Vietnam and France. Through this arrangement, eleven Boeing 777 freighters will operate from Hanoi in the month of May and four weekly freight-only Boeing 777 passenger aircraft will operate from Ho Chi Minh City until June for its customer, Bollore Logistics. In April, Qatar Airways Cargo had introduced freighter flights to Australia that brought the combined weekly capacity in and out of Australia to more than 550 tonnes.
Qatar Airways Cargo, in April, also partnered with the Australian Government to restore critical global supply chains through the International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM). The IFAM is an initiative by the Australian Government that has been launched to help restore critical global supply chains for high-value Australian agricultural and fisheries producers, who have been heavily impacted by COVID-19 containment measures around the world.
Through this initiative, the Australian Government is partially offsetting the cost of airfreight – reducing airfreight and freight forwarding costs for exporters and ensuring businesses and exporters in the country can swiftly transport their produce on flights and to international customers.
With global air freight capacity declining, Qatar Airways Cargo has increased operations to ensure the continuity of global trade and movement of essential medical and aid supplies. The airline continues to operate a significant cargo schedule with almost 175 flights per day. Freight charters are being operated to multiple countries including China, India, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.
To ensure the safety of its crew and cargo, the carrier has implemented special procedures for ground handling including adherence to social distancing guidelines to ensure there is minimum contact between staff. All of its freighters and passenger aircraft are equipped with face masks, gloves and hand sanitisers for crew and all the crew and staff are screened regularly. Qatar Airways Cargo utilises its full freighter fleet as per schedule and operates belly-hold cargo flights to destinations where possible.
