* Partnership reinforces the cargo carrier’s focus on customer centricity
* Scheduled B777F charter services to transport garments from Dhaka to New York
Qatar Airways Cargo and Expo Freight Logistics (EFL) have signed an agreement for weekly scheduled charter services, taking their partnership to the next level. The award-winning carrier, through its QR Charter services, now offers dedicated Boeing 777 freighter service to EFL once every week from Dhaka to New York, transporting more than 100 tonnes of garments per flight. The freighter service commenced on 13 May and will continue for a period of one year.
Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo, Mr. Guillaume Halleux, said: “We are proud of our partnership with EFL and appreciate this long-term relationship, which demonstrates the trust placed by EFL in our services. Our expertise in freight charters enables us to customise our connectivity and services for our customers to most of the airports in the world. Utilising our renowned QR Charter service, we are able to offer tailor-made cargo solutions to our business partners.”
Mr. Hanif Yusoof, EFL Founder & Chairman, said: “We are pleased to announce this new service from Dhaka for our USA customers. Bangladesh has been a very attractive sourcing market for retailers and the development of better and faster supply chain solutions will further strengthen its reputation in the region. I would like to thank the team at Qatar Airways Cargo for their continued support and we look forward to developing more customised solutions for our key customers.”
The majority of apparel exports out of Dhaka on the freighters consist of sportswear, lingerie, loungewear, bridal wear, workwear, swimwear and children’s wear, and will be transported to New York to major retailers in the United States. Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of readymade garments and it is the country’s largest source for export earnings. To provide a global market access to local exporters, Qatar Airways Cargo operates seven weekly freighters from Dhaka to a vast network of more than 150 destinations via Doha. It also offers belly-hold space on three-times daily wide-body passenger flights, offering a combined capacity of over 900 tonnes out of Bangladesh each week for local exports.
The carrier’s QR Charter service offers quality, reliable and cost-effective global charter solutions utilising a young and modern fleet of two Boeing 747-8s, 13 Boeing 777s and eight Airbus A330 freighters.
Qatar Airways Cargo has invested significantly in its fleet, network, technology, hub and products in recent years, as part of its strategy to enhance customer experience. The cargo carrier’s charter product performed outstandingly well, with 41 per cent increase in 2017-18 results compared to 2016-17. The cargo carrier also performed charters for a variety of products such as horses, events, cattle, pharmaceuticals, perishables, odd-size shipments, oil and gas products, arts, concerts and exhibitions, machinery, mining and humanitarian relief goods.
