The successful charters highlight the cargo carrier’s expertise in handling perishable shipments DOHA, Qatar – It was a cheery cherry season for Qatar Airways Cargo as the cargo carrier successfully chartered over 1,400 tonnes of Chilean cherries between 13 November to 19 December 2017. Through integrated planning and excellent coordination between all stakeholders involved, Qatar Airways Cargo has successfully operated fourteen Boeing 777F charter flights from Santiago, Chile all the way to Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong via the cargo carrier’s state-of-the-art Doha hub, at Hamad International Airport (HIA). This is the second year Qatar Airways Cargo has collaborated with its major customers to transport Chilean cherries on dedicated charter flights.
Mr. Guillaume Halleux, Acting Chief Officer Cargo said, “We are very proud to support and partner with our customers to move these perishables across the globe. Air freight and logistics plays a fundamental role in ensuring the cherry exporters in Chile meet their clients’ needs. Through our solution QR Fresh, we provide a seamless cool chain for all temperature-sensitive shipments, from their origin airport through to their final destination, thus preserving their quality and extending their shelf life. Our product offering for these shipments complemented by innovative services such as the airside cool chain centre at Hamad International Airport, will definitely boost our business while enhancing the cool chain for temperature- sensitive products transiting through our world-class hub in Doha.” Chilean cherries are renowned and in high demand in China and other Asian countries. The cherry harvest perfectly coincides with China’s Lunar New Year where a box of Chilean cherries makes an ideal gift to friends and family. Through QR Fresh, the product for perishables and fresh produce, the cargo carrier offers its customers a reliable and seamless cool chain solution for their products. The cargo carrier’s facility at Hamad International Airport is fully compliant with IATA Chapter 17 standards. A dedicated Climate Control team proactively monitors every shipment from beginning to end to ensure a seamless transfer. There are dedicated cold rooms at the airline’s state-of-the-art fully-automated warehouse in Doha, each with various temperature zones for the storage of perishables transiting the hub. Industry-leading, world-class ramp handling, utilising reefer vehicles direct to the aircraft, ensure perfect temperature control at the hub in Doha. Earlier this year, the world-class carrier inaugurated its dedicated Climate Control Centre situated airside at HIA, equipped with segregated temperature-controlled sections for storing perishables transiting the hub. It has two zones operating for 2° to 8°C or 15° to 25°C, with a capacity to hold a total of 156 unit loading devices (ULDs) at a time, in addition to the 64 temperature controlled cells at the cargo terminal’s cold room. The world’s third largest cargo carrier recently took delivery of its second B747-8 freighter, taking the total count of freighters in operation to 23. The cargo carrier also offers distinctive products, namely QR Pharma, QR Live, QR Charter and QR Express offering efficiency and compliance in the handling of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical cargo, transportation of live animals as well as time-critical shipments.  The carrier won three accolades this year, namely Global Cargo Airline of the Year at Air Cargo Africa; Payload Asia’s Overall Carrier of the Year; and the Best Cargo Airline in Customer Services, at the India Cargo Awards.