OREANDA-NEWS. The new A330’s have replaced three Airbus A300 freighters that the airline has phased out of the fleet to make way for the new state-of-the-art aircraft.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the arrival of the A330 freighters signalled a new era for the airline’s cargo operations.

“The capacity of Qatar Airways Cargo has been significantly increased with the introduction of the new Airbus A330 freighter into our worldwide cargo route network,” said Al Baker.

“The arrival of the A330-200F comes at a time when Qatar Airways’ Cargo undergoes significant development and growth. The opening of our brand new USD\\$1 billion cargo facility at Hamad International Airport later this year will see Qatar Airways Cargo handle 1.4 million tonnes of cargo annually, more than tripling the capacity of the existing facility.”

As one of the most advanced freighter aircraft operating in the industry today, Qatar Airways Cargo will deploy the A330-200F on routes including Amsterdam, Amman, Cairo, Colombo and Chennai, complimenting the operations of the fleet’s Boeing 777F aircraft.

Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo, Ulrich Ogiermann said the airline’s cargo expansion plans and innovation initiatives will position the carrier as a leading freighter provider in the Middle East and internationally.

“2013 has already been a highly successful year for Qatar Airways’ Cargo, with the hosting of IATA’s World Cargo Symposium in March, the arrival of our new Airbus A330s and a growing route network,” said Ogiermann.

“As we continue to grow our operations and expand our reach to new and underserved destinations worldwide, we look forward to continuing to provide a world-class freighter service to our customers worldwide, with a further commitment to offering only the very best 5-star service,” he said.

The fleet of Qatar Airways Cargo will expand further next month, with the arrival of the airline’s fifth Boeing 777 freighter.