Airline will operate 2 weekly Boeing 777 freighters to Melbourne and Perth
Australia – Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world’s leading air cargo carriers, is pleased to announce that it will be introducing freighter flights to and from Australia from 2 April 2020*. These freighters will complement the airline’s existing belly-hold cargo services and are being added as a result of a strong demand for Australian products such as pharmaceuticals and fresh produce.
The airline will operate the twice-weekly freighters to Melbourne and Perth with a tech stop at Singapore, adding 200 tonnes of main deck cargo capacity each week, each way. This brings the combined weekly capacity in and out of Australia to more than 550 tonnes.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “During this time, we are seeing soaring demand for supplies nationwide, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the supply chain. We are pleased to provide these additional services to bring essential commodities, fresh produce, food products, and medical supplies to Australia as we face this public health crisis. We will also be transporting goods to other countries around the world, to meet the demand for Australian products, further supporting the local export industry. We are thankful to the Australian Government for their flexibility in allowing Qatar Airways to continue supporting worldwide trade connectivity by utilising passenger aircraft to carry freight only while passenger operations remain restricted.”
Qatar Airways remains one of the few combination international airlines, transporting both passengers and belly-hold cargo on major routes. The airline is operating dedicated freighters to serve Australia at this time, to meet increased demand for supplies.