Qatar Airways Cargo said it had recently taken delivery of its sixth Boeing 777 freighter, whihc has a payload capability of 102 metric tons.

Commenting on the new addition, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said the delivery of the sixth Boeing 777 freighter was a proud moment for Qatar Airways Cargo.

“It’s the right time to introduce an additional 777 freighter to our fleet. Qatar is growing at a phenomenal pace, as are other parts of the Gulf region, and we are primed to take advantage of this growth,” remarked Al Baker.

Qatar Airways chief officer (Cargo) Ulrich Ogiermann said: "As a world-class air cargo service provider with international reach, it is important that we continuously expand both our capacity, and the number of our destinations."

"Our customers can rely on our extensive network of more than 40 exclusive freighter destinations worldwide, in addition to the freight delivered on our 134 passenger aircraft to 142 key business and leisure destinations globally," he stated.

Marty Bentrott, the senior VP for sales (Middle East, Russia and Central Asia) Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: "The 777 Freighter has consistently delivered the highest levels of reliability and efficiency since it entered service in 2009, making it the long-range freighter of choice for a number of airlines and cargo operators around the world."

“We are confident that the 777 Freighter’s high capacity and range, combined with the lowest trip cost of any large freighter, will add a tremendous amount of value to Qatar Airways’ expanding air cargo operations,” added Bentrott.

The Qatar Airways Cargo B777 freighter is capable of flying 9,070 km with a full payload of 102 metric tonnes, making it the world's longest-range twin-engine freighter.

The aircraft accommodates 27 standard pallets (2.5 metre x 3 metre) on the main deck. The industry-standard 3 metre pallets are accommodated by the large main deck cargo door that makes use of the airplane's volume capability. The lower cargo hold has the capacity for 10 pallets, as well as 17.0 cubic meters of additional bulk cargo.

Qatar Airways Cargo recently strengthened its product portfolio with the launch in January of two new premium services QR Pharma and QR Fresh, that optimise the transportation of time and temperature-sensitive goods, including high-value pharmaceutical products and perishables.

Recently, new freighter destinations Zaragoza, Hyderabad, London Stansted and Delhi were added to the network. The new cargo route to Mexico, effective from June 11, marked the start of freighter operations into Latin America, said the Qatari airline .  

Last month, Qatar Airways Cargo transferred its entire operations to the new cargo facility at Hamad International Airport.

The giant facility, spanning 55,000 sq m, contains a perishables storage area, amongst other key facilities, such as a live animal centre and dangerous goods area. The new self-contained terminal will handle 1.4 million tonnes of cargo per annum, it added.-TradeArabia News Service