Qatar Cargo’s Continuing Growth

Although the trio of new Airbus A330-200 Freighters has been the primary headline at Qatar Cargo this year, the carrier has also recently added another 777 Freighter, A7-BFE (msn: 39644) on June 22. The new aircraft brings Qatar Cargo’s 777 fleet to five, with three remaining on order.

The 777Fs are used for long-haul missions, while the A330s have thus far directly replaced the A300-600 on regional and European routes, as the older aircraft are retired.

Qatar’s passenger fleet has also expanded recently, with the addition of five 777-300ERs since January. In the next couple of months, the Gulf carrier will take delivery of its first Airbus A380. The growth in the passenger fleet has been matched by an expansion in destinations served. Since October, Qatar has added Yangon, Mozambique, Belgrade, Salalah (Oman’s second-largest city), and most recently, Chicago. Chicago (ORD) is also a 777F destination for Qatar. These expansions allow for even more possibilities for shippers.

A7-BFE is seen here having just returned from a customer acceptance flight, typically done after Boeing is finished with testing the aircraft and is ready to deliver.

© Photo: Alex Kwanten