Page 27 - STAT May 2024 for Magzter

e are a five start airline, we have
got a five star airport and we
now have a five star animal facil-
“Wity,” announced Mark Drusch,
Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways Cargo, while
officially opening the brand new animal centre at the
Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar recently.
“This facility is incredible,” Drush added while reit-
erating the fact the Qatar Airways Cargo has built “the
best facility” in the world for animals travelling around
the world by air.
“We really put a lot of thought into the emotional
aspects of an animal travelling to try and de-stress
them. We have done a lot of touches that are beyond
QR Cargo Animal Centre entrance lobby
just a business. It is really about understanding the
emotional needs of animals,” Drush said before letting
the visiting media and Qatar Airways Cargo custom-
ers to take a look at the impeccably clean facility.
The animal centre is spread across 5,260 square me-
ters. It features kennels for 140 dogs and 40 cats. There
are 24 horse stables distributed in 4 zones with separate
airflows for proper segregation. There are specialty
areas designed for day-old-chicks, birds, fish, reptiles
and exotic animals.
Equipped with cutting-edge technology, includ-
ing advanced heating, ventilation, and air condition-
ing systems, as well as multiple docks for seamless
operation, the facility has capacity for handling up
to 47 Unit Load Device (ULD) positions, with special-
ized ULD rooms for various operations. The facility
has airside and landside interfaces with multiple
docks for efficient operations. It is equipped with a
sophisticated HVAC system for maintaining optimal
air quality.
With the opening of the advanced animal cen-
QR Cargo Animal Centre lobby
with trained care takers tre, the world’s leading cargo carrier is setting new
benchmarks in the transport of live animals. In 2023,
the Doha-based cargo carrier transported over 55,000
animals including 10,000 horses. 

Mark Drusch (left) with Miguel Rodríguez,
QR Cargo Animal Centre groom's room Head of Cargo Products at Qatar Airways

www.stattimes.com | MAY 2024 25