Qatar targets Americas for expansion

Qatar Airways Cargo will begin serving four new destinations with its 777Fs, beginning in February 2017. New destinations in South America include Buenos Aires, São Paulo and Quito. The twice-weekly flights from the carrier’s Doha hub reach the South American cities via Luxembourg. On the return leg, the freighters will stop in another new destination, Miami, before their onward flight to Doha via Luxembourg.

Ulrich Ogiermann, Qatar Airways’ chief officer cargo, said the new routes will target pharma and perishables exports out of South America – commodities that are in great demand in Europe and Asia. QR Cargo’s freighter fleet currently sits at 21 units after the recent addition of its eleventh 777F. It also has eight A330-200Fs and two 747-400Fs.

As other large Gulf-region carriers such as Dubai-based Emirates, and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airway, begin to adjust to slowing growth, Qatar continues to pursue an aggressive expansion strategy. Emirates, which, in previous years, experienced double-digit cargo traffic growth, reported its cargo traffic was flat during the first half of its 2016 fiscal year, compared to the same period in 2015.