Qatar Airways Cargo has continued to expand its operations to Africa with the addition of a seventh dedicated freighter service to the continent.
The airline announced today that it would launch a new Airbus 300F flight to Djibouti from its Doha hub on August 1.
Qatar said the service would target the perishables market as there were more than 170 tonnes of perishables destined for the Horn of Africa country.
The country would also act as a consolidation point.
Qatar Airways chief officer cargo Ulrich Ogiermann 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.â€
Qatar said that Africa is a key growth market. It currently serves Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg, Entebbe, Nairobi, and Khartoum with dedicated freighters.
The country is also looking to ramp up its logistics capabilities and is constructing two new airports; the Hassan Gouled Aptidon International Airport and Ahmed Dini Ahmed International Airport, which will cater for 100,000 tons.
The government hopes to combine the two new airports with four new sea ports to create a complete sea-air cargo network. Djibouti’s current transport and logistics infrastructure programme exceeds $14bn.
An airline, Air Djbouti, is also set to launch cargo operations later this year.