Qatar Airways, GWC mobilise relief efforts for India

Qatar Airways and Gulf Warehousing Company (GWC) have joined forces to engage in relief efforts for India as the country battles the world’s worst spike in Covid-19 infections. The companies, under the carrier's sustainability initiative WeQare, will sponsor the transportation of designated health care goods to the Indian Red Cross Society in Delhi for distribution across different parts of India to help curb the raging crisis.

In a statement, the carrier said it will airlift 300 tonnes of medical items to India from various global suppliers free of charge. As part of their efforts, the companies are welcoming contributions and donations from the communities in Qatar in the form of ventilators, oxygen concentrators, medical air compressors, oxygen cylinders and drugs such as Remdesivir, Tocilizumab injections.

A statement issued by Qatar Airways said, “The airline intends to transport 300 tonnes of aid from across its global network to Doha where it will be flown in a three-flight cargo aircraft convoy directly to destinations in India where it is most desperately needed.”

To ensure safe transportation, Qatar Airways has set a few general guidelines for the shipments. Before donating medical air compressors, the pressure valve/vessel needs to be emptied. Oxygen cylinders must be made of aluminum alloy or steel with a maximum net weight of 150 kg. The working pressure of the cylinder must not exceed 2/3 of the test pressure and should be valid within the 10 years from test period, pressure gauge (regulator valve) must not be damaged. If the ventilators/personal oxygen concentrators are powered by lithium batteries, it needs to be informed to GWC. The injections Remdesivir and Tocilizumab need to be in the original packaging with Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). GWC and Qatar Airways will examine the goods and packaging to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.

Those donating goods need to provide appropriate identification (QID) and contact details. The donations can be dropped off at GWC Logistics Village Qatar.

In a recent interview with CNN’s Richard Quest, Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo shared that the carrier is carrying a 20-foot oxygen tank onboarded from Europe to Doha on a chartered flight where it will be filled and then sent to India via sea freight.