Launched less than a year ago, the transpacific service has quickly become a highly successful route connecting Asia to North America
Doha, Qatar – Close on the heels of major cargo announcements made at the Paris Air Show, Qatar Airways Cargo has added Singapore as a new freighter destination on its transpacific freighter route.
The twice-weekly Boeing 777 freighters arrive into Singapore from Chicago. From Singapore, the freighter departs for Macau on Tuesdays and Saturdays and onward to Los Angeles, Mexico City and Guadalajara in the Americas before arriving in Doha via Liege. More than 100 tonnes of cargo capacity is offered on each flight leg.
Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo Mr. Guillaume Halleux said: “Our customers have warmly welcomed the transpacific service which is evident from the full loads on the route. The addition of Singapore to the transpacific route will enable exporters in Singapore to transport their cargo to North American markets directly and faster without a stopover in Doha. Qatar Airways’ Cargo network in Asia Pacific now covers nine freighter destinations and we are pleased to offer an expanding network to our customers worldwide.”
Changi Airport Group’s Managing Director for Air Hub Development, Mr Lim Ching Kiat said: “We are delighted to welcome Qatar Airways’ new freighter operations at Changi Airport. Qatar’s new freighter flights will deepen Singapore’s air connectivity with the USA, our third largest cargo market[1]. In addition, the new flights will also link Changi Airport to Macau and Mexico via freighters for the first time. We look forward to these new flights which will give our partners and customers added options in their supply chain management.”
The transpacific freighter services provide a direct flight over the Pacific which translates into time and cost savings for the customer. Qatar Airways Cargo commenced the successful transpacific route in October 2018 from Macau to Los Angeles and Mexico City. In January this year, the airline introduced Guadalajara on the route while also adding import capacity to Almaty, Kazakhstan. Belly-hold cargo flights were added to Izmir, Rabat, Malta, Davao and Lisbon.
The airline recently announced an order for five new Boeing 777 freighters at the Paris Air Show. The five new freighters will propel the airline’s growth and give a huge boost to its capacity, enabling it to add new freighter routes while also increasing capacity on key trade lanes. The cargo carrier also won two prestigious industry awards this year, recognizing its continued growth and emphasis on customer centricity and innovation to deliver the highest levels of service to its customers worldwide.
[1] Time period: 12 months ending May 2019
