DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways Cargo will launch a new freighter service to Djibouti on 1 August, becoming the carrier’s seventh dedicated African freighter destination.

The weekly A330F service will satisfy increasing airfreight demand from customers in the Middle East, South Asia and Europe into east Africa. With more than 170 tonnes of perishables destined for Djibouti every week, Qatar Airways Cargo’s dedicated QR Fresh service and state-of–the-art cargo handling and storage facilities will ensure the seamless movement of fresh food and perishable goods, which require constant temperature control during transit from origin to their final destination.

Ulrich Ogiermann, Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo, said: “Djibouti is an important market for Qatar Airways Cargo and for the Middle East, which benefits as a consolidation point for the African market due to its geographical location. This new route will further open up the African market to our customers who are increasingly demanding capacity to Africa, keen to maximise upon the numerous possibilities the country holds. Qatar Airways Cargo’s dedicated services, such as QR Pharma and QR Fresh, can unlock this potential for businesses and consumers, transporting pharmaceuticals to flowers, and provide opportunities for greater choice and competition within the market.”

Africa is a key growth market for Qatar Airways Cargo, which currently serves Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg, Entebbe, Nairobi, and Khartoum with dedicated freighters. The development of Djibouti as a regional hub for commercial and logistics services is currently the focus of a significant government campaign in Africa. Termed the gateway to the horn of Africa, Djibouti is also constructing two new airports; the Hassan Gouled Aptidon International Airport and Ahmed Dini Ahmed International Airport.

Qatar Airways Cargo operates from its state-of-the-art hub Hamad International Airport, Doha, where its cargo terminal is one of the largest in the world. Operating an advanced air cargo handling system, the cargo complex has a capacity to process 1.4 million tonnes of cargo per year and can accommodate 11 wide-body freighters with 42 airside loading docks to facilitate the swift and efficient transfer of cargo in to and out of Qatar.