Qatar Airways Cargo will begin using its passenger Boeing 777-300s for the transportation of seafood from Norway to Doha, Qatar’s capital, starting next week.
On 14 December, The Doha-based airline will begin flying regular flights to Harstad-Narvik Airport, a seafood hub in Northern Norway three times a week, transporting as much as 50 metric tons (MT) of seafood per flight, according to a press release.
“We are pleased to introduce cargo capacity and support Northern Norway’s seafood and salmon exporters who will benefit from direct connection to African, Asian, and Middle East markets via Doha,” Qatar Airways Chief Cargo Officer Guillaume Halleux said. “Our state-of-the-art climate control center has dedicated storage areas for perishables transiting the hub while the use of reefer trucks ensures a seamless cool chain for all perishable shipments.”
By flying out of Harstad-Narvik, seafood will arrive fresher in Doha, as it won’t have to be transported by ship truck to Oslo, according to Stig Winther, the CEO of Perishable Center Nord AS, which has partnered with Qatar Airways on the endeavor.
“Operating more direct routes to and from the market will mean a lot for fresh seafood businesses from the North, and quality, freshness, and competitiveness will definitely improve,” Winther said. “We are looking forward to start up, develop, and together with Qatar Airways Cargo make seafood from Northern Norway more available globally.”
The route has been opened as more of Qatar Airways’ 777-300s are available due to a global downturn in passenger air travel due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the pandemic, Qatar Airways said its cargo division has not made any cutbacks to its scheduled freight and passenger belly-hold flights “to ensure the continuity of uninterrupted global trade.”
Photo courtesy of Vytautas Kielaitis/Shutterstock
