Qatar Airways became the first airline to fly the A350 to the US with the ferry flight leaving Hamad International Airport on the morning of 8 December, landing at JFK International later in the same day. Qatar Airways was the global launch carrier of the A350 and is the first to fly the aircraft to three continents; the airline’s fleet of seven A350s currently flies twice a day to Frankfurt, daily to Munich and three times a day to Singapore from Doha. An eighth A350 will join the fleet … [Read more...] about Qatar Airways first carrier to fly A350 to US, readies Philly service
Qatar Airways
Hamad Int’l sees rising cargo volumes thanks to QR Cargo
Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) handled cargo tonnage amounting to 242,513 tonnes in the third quarter of 2015 with 79,408 tonnes of cargo handled in the month of July, 80,766 tonnes in August and 82,338 tonnes of cargo handled in September of 2015. HIA also saw a significant increase in aircraft movements in the third quarter of 2015 with 55,186 movements, which represents a 19 per cent increase in aircraft take-offs and landings at the airport, compared to 46,405 movements during … [Read more...] about Hamad Int’l sees rising cargo volumes thanks to QR Cargo
Qatar’s Al Baker on the Chinese ‘sleeping giants’
With no end in sight in the ongoing fracas between carriers in the US and Europe and those in the Middle East over alleged subsidies, Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker gives his views on why Chinese carriers and others are spared the same accusations. When asked by Payload Asia in Doha recently about the largely quiet role of Chinese carriers, in what some refer to as the ‘sleeping giants’ of the air cargo sector, Al Baker said: “I agree, the Chinese carriers are sleeping giants. … [Read more...] about Qatar’s Al Baker on the Chinese ‘sleeping giants’
Middle East dominance in air cargo is the “new normal”: Al Baker
A seismic shift has taken place in the air cargo industry creating a “new normal” in which Middle East carriers now dominate the sector because of their significant investment, geographic location and keener efficiencies, says Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker. He added that legacy carriers have a structure that is “incompetent” for dealing with today’s environment. “Over the past 15 years there has been a seismic shift in commercial cargo landscape – the legacy airlines are losing … [Read more...] about Middle East dominance in air cargo is the “new normal”: Al Baker
Growth important to QR, but so is quality: Al Baker
Growth is important for Qatar Airways said the carrier’s chief executive Akbar Al Baker recently as he announced that the carrier has now risen to the third largest cargo airline in IATA rankings and detailed plans for a fleet of 21 freighters by 2017 along with a quintupling of its current cargo terminal capacity in Doha by 2018. While growth is important, Al Baker emphasised it’s not merely growth for growth’s sake. “We are not here in the business of charity,” he highlighted to media … [Read more...] about Growth important to QR, but so is quality: Al Baker
Qatar Airways plans door-to-door courier service
Qatar Airways has announced its intention to tap the surging ecommerce business by getting into door-to-door courier delivery. Speaking to cargo media in Doha, Qatar Airways chief executive, Akbar Al Baker said the new QR Express product announced today, was aimed squarely at the growing global ecommerce logistics business. “We want to get into the courier business which is high yield and high margin business,” Al Baker said. “We are very keen on this and this is the first step. We don’t want … [Read more...] about Qatar Airways plans door-to-door courier service