Doha hub caters for growing perishable business

South Africa is becoming a growing focus for Qatar Airways Cargo, with the activity in this country currently centred on the parent airline’s passenger flight schedule, according to cargo’s senior vice-president, Dileepa Wijesundera. “This presently provides us with daily flights to Johannesburg and onward flights to Cape Town four times a week,” he told FTW. The cargo operation handles a range of timesensitive and perishable items, both of which are major cargo categories on the SA air routes. On the export leg, for example, a wide range of perishable products fills the holds of many of the outgoing aircraft. This according to Wijesundera, requires a finely tuned system, to handle what can be an extremely sensitive cargo. “For example, from the moment the stem of a flower is cut, the clock is ticking. With streamlined movement, minimum transit times and climate control, Qatar Airways Cargo takes fresh flowers from Johannesburg to major markets in Europe. “Yes, we really do deliver tulips to Amsterdam!” This, he added, was supported by a full range of perishable facilities at the Qatar cargo hub at Doha International Airport – with these specialised warehouses including both cold room and freezer sections. The rest of the African continent is also well covered by the airline and its cargo subsidiary - with services to Alexandria, Cairo, Casablanca, Dar Es Salaam, Khartoum, Lagos, Luxor, Nairobi, Seychelles, Tripoli, and Tunis. Added to that, Qatar Airways Cargo operates dedicated freighter services to Cairo, Khartoum and Nairobi.