DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways Cargo has commenced freighter operations to its second new destination in 2019, Almaty in Kazakhstan, offering more than 200 tonnes of capacity each week to the Kazakh city.

The twice-weekly Boeing 777 freighters depart Doha on Thursdays and Sundays, arriving in Almaty on the same day. On the return, the freighters arrive into Doha via Hong Kong.

Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo, Mr. Guillaume Halleux, said: “2018 was a great year for us and we are excited to launch our second freighter destination in 2019, just 10 days after the launch of freighter services to Guadalajara, Mexico. The new addition further strengthens our global freighter network while expanding our footprint in Europe, which is a key market for air freight. Customers globally are offered a direct connection for imports into Almaty from our hub in Doha and can count on us for efficient and world-class service for their air freight requirements.”

Almaty is a key financial centre and the largest metropolis in Kazakhstan. Major imports into Almaty include general cargo, fashion and high-tech products.

With the latest addition of Almaty, the cargo carrier’s freighter network in Europe has increased to 16 destinations. Qatar Airways Cargo also transports freight on the belly-hold of passenger flights operating to more than 50 destinations on the continent. The cargo carrier’s combined weekly cargo capacity to and from Europe is more than 15,000 tonnes each way.

Qatar Airways Cargo volumes increased by 10 per cent in 2018 over 2017. The carrier’s products have also performed exceptionally well with positive tonnage growth and several enhancements introduced, such as the roll out of the automated mail management system across its network that greatly benefits postal mail and e-commerce customers.

The carrier added belly-hold cargo capacity to several key destinations in its network and also received two brand new Boeing 777 freighters in 2018 as part of its expansion strategy. Qatar Airways Cargo recently launched freighters to Guadalajara, Mexico on its transpacific route, offering customers in Asia direct connection and capacity to North America.