Qatar Cargo’s first charter flight lands at Colombus, Ohio

September 13, 2017: Doha-based Qatar Airways Cargo has shipped over 100 tonnes of garments in collaboration with one of its major customers, EFL (Expo Freight), headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, early this month.

The garments were flown on a Boeing 777 freighter from Colombo to Rickenbacker International Airport in Colombus, Ohio for L Brands, the American fashion retailer based in Ohio. L Brands, formerly known as Limited Brands, is featured on the Fortune 500 list of companies.

This flight marks the airline’s first charter service to Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, Ohio.

Ulrich Ogiermann, chief officer cargo, Qatar Airways, said, “With the current five times daily belly flights and twice weekly Airbus A330 freighters to and from Colombo, Sri Lanka, apparel and local industries in the country are offered more capacity, including quick and efficient connections to key trade markets in Europe and the Americas via our Doha hub.”

Hanif Yusoof, founder and chairman at EFL said, “This serves as a great example of logistic providers and airlines working together to tailor solutions that benefit supply chain customers. We look forward to increasing our engagement with carriers and customers, developing more customised solutions that are both timely and effective.”

The apparel industry is the most significant and dynamic contributor to Sri Lanka’s economy and is the primary foreign exchange earner, accounting for 40 percent of the country’s total exports. The industry has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past four decades. The majority of apparel exports, including sportswear, lingerie, loungewear, bridal wear, workwear, swimwear and children’s wear, are destined to the United States and Europe, regions where Qatar Airways Cargo has an extensive network.

Through its twice weekly Airbus A330 freighters and five times daily flights out of Colombo, the cargo carrier offers customers over 460 tonnes of cargo capacity from Sri Lanka each week, connecting local production companies to major import markets in Europe and the Americas, via hub in Doha.

Qatar Airways Cargo charter product performed outstandingly well, with a 150 percent increase in 2016-17 results, over 2015-16. The cargo carrier also performed charters for a variety of products such as horses, cattle, pharmaceuticals, odd-size shipments, oil and gas products, art, concerts and exhibitions, machinery, mining and humanitarian relief goods.