Qatar Airways Cargo’s expanding list of freighter destinations will see the addition of Budapest, Prague and Ho Chi Minh City in March.
With the addition of these cities, Qatar Airways Cargo, the air freight division of the Qatari national carrier, will have 14 European freighter destinations and six to the Asia-Pacific region.
The Doha-Ho Chi Minh freight service will be operated twice a week by an A330F, departing Thursdays and Saturdays, with 120 tonnes of cargo capacity, in addition to the 72 tonnes weekly belly-hold capacity on the daily passenger flights to Ho Chi Minh.
The new service by Qatar Airways Cargo is expected to support Vietnam’s growing influence as a major exporter of garments, footwear and handicrafts, with cargo sent to the United States and Europe via Doha.
The new Doha–Budapest–Prague service will also be operated by an A330F, departing Thursdays and Sundays with the 120 tonnes of weekly cargo capacity on the A330F to be split evenly between the two Eastern European cities.
This new route will provide a gateway into the Eastern European market from Asia for electronics and automotive parts, as well as textiles, pharmaceuticals and biotech products.
Qatar Airways Cargo will continue to expand its network this year as new freighter aircraft enter the fleet.
The airline took delivery of a new A330F and a new 747F nose loader last month, and a further A330F is scheduled to arrive in the first quarter of the year, followed by three new 777Fs by the end of 2016.
Qatar Airways Cargo flies its freighters to 52 dedicated-cargo destinations and flies belly hold cargo on passenger aircraft to more than 150 international destinations.