Sri Lanka’s EFL picks Pittsburgh Airport as cargo distribution center

July 19, 2019: Sri Lanka-based freight forwarder EFL is making Pittsburgh International Airport a cargo distribution point in conjunction with the Qatar Airways Cargo’s nonstop service.

EFL will capitalise on one of Qatar’s two weekly Boeing 777 freighters into Pittsburgh. The company’s first 90-tonne shipment started in May into Pittsburgh.

The Doha to Pittsburgh service offers its customers in Asia a solution for 72-hour transit time from the Asia-Pacific region to regional distribution centers and retail stores in the United States.

Pittsburgh’s location midway between Chicago and New York offers convenient access to two of the largest air cargo markets in the US and many markets in between.

Christina Cassotis, CEO, Pittsburgh International Airport said: “This is cargo that used to enter into the US through major airports such as New York and Chicago but instead they’re choosing to use our region as a gateway.”

Pittsburgh International Airport’s close proximity to major North American cities and efficiency for operations has provided Qatar Airways Cargo and EFL an improved experience for shipping global air freight.

The Qatar Airways Cargo flights to Pittsburgh also provides $42.8 million of annual economic output for the Pittsburgh region, supporting 265 additional jobs within the region according to a study performed by EDRG in 2018.

“Today’s announcement continues moving the airport corridor forward as a manufacturing and distribution hub,” said Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County executive.

“We are planting the seeds for manufacturing, distribution, logistics and connectivity in the global marketplace. We are excited to see it bear much fruit in the years to come, and to see the growth of jobs in these areas continue.”

Peter Penseel, senior vice president Cargo Sales and Network Planning, Qatar Airways said: “We see the Americas as an important cargo market. Our freighter services to Pittsburgh are doing extremely well and help connect global markets to the region while also offering businesses in Pennsylvania direct uplift to our growing cargo network. Through our collaboration with EFL, their customers in the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia benefit from innovative and faster supply chain solutions and dedicated capacity of more than 100 tonnes each week to regional distribution centers and retail stores in the United States using Pittsburgh as a gateway.”

Qatar Airways Cargo began operating twice-weekly scheduled Boeing 777 freighters into Pittsburgh International Airport in October 2017, marking the 17th destination in the Americas for Qatar Airways Cargo at the time, and is the first scheduled international freighter route for Pittsburgh International Airport.