Summary
- Qatar Airways Cargo has expanded its reach within the Chinese market by adding Chengdu and Chongqing as latest destinations.
- With the addition of those routes, Qatar Airways Cargo now offers over 2,700 tonnes of cargo capability each week in Mainland China.
- The cargo carrier has also recently partnered with Xiamen Airlines, which allows them to utilize additional cargo capability on flights between China and Qatar.
Qatar Airways Cargo, a subsidiary of Qatar Airways, announced further expansion within the Chinese market because it now connects Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) with Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) and Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG). The brand new air cargo routes are flown using an Airbus A330-300F by the world’s second-largest air cargo airline by air freight volume. The announcement also is available in the week Qatar Airways Cargo celebrates its twentieth birthday.
Humble beginnings
In 2003, Qatar Airways Cargo took delivery of its first freighter aircraft, an Airbus A300-600, a converted passenger aircraft. The plane initially began operating regular flights to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) and Chennai (MAA) before adding service to Latest Delhi (DEL). Just 20 years later, the cargo wing of Qatar Airways operates 31 dedicated cargo freighters starting from the Boeing 747-8F to the Boeing 777F and serves over 160 belly-hold and over 70 freighter destinations across the globe.
Photo: Matheus Obst / Shutterstock
Since its inception, Qatar Airways Cargo has made strides in growing its capabilities and reach worldwide to create a global point-to-point air freight network. Over the past 12 months, this has been especially prevalent because the cargo airline has expanded its reach within the Americas, Africa, and the Far East.
Chinese Expansion
As such, Qatar Airways Cargo has introduced two latest destinations within the Chinese market: Chengdu and Chongqing. The cargo carrier commenced belly-hold flights to Chengdu and Chongqing on September 23 and 25, respectively. Each flights might be operated by an Airbus A330-300 and be served 3 times per week.
The 2 latest routes complement Qatar Airways Cargo’s extensive route network across Mainland China, which incorporates Beijing (PEK), Guangzhou (CAN), Shanghai (PVG), Shenzhen (SZX), Hangzhou (HGH), and Zhengzhou (CGO). They now offer a combined weekly cargo capability of over 2,700 tonnes each way. As Elisabeth Oudkerk, SVP of Cargo Sales and Network Planning, said in a press release:
“Qatar Airways Cargo has been serving the Chinese market since October 2003, when it first began belly-hold flights to Shanghai. We’re pleased to expand our network in Mainland China with these latest destinations and offer our customers direct belly hold capability for his or her imports and exports out of those key markets.”
The 2 latest routes will primarily operate as export-oriented markets and supply a weekly capability of 84 tonnes of cargo each way. Flights to Chongqing and Chengdu will haul perishables, general cargo, fish, and seafood, while the return leg will haul vulnerable/tech cargo back to Qatar. The strategic expansion in China will play an important role in facilitating international trade and connecting China with the remainder of the world.
Latest partnership
Qatar Airways Cargo’s Chinese expansion comes just per week after announcing a brand new partnership with Xiamen Airlines, which might be the primary Chinese airline to operate non-stop passenger flights between Qatar and Mainland China. The Chinese carrier will connect Doha with Beijing and Xiamen (XMN) starting October twentieth and thirty first.