Exclusive Interview—Qatar Airways Cargo
Qatar Airways flying high with Cargo accounting for significant revenue source During the peak of the pandemic in fiscal year 2020-21, Cargo contributed QAR 18.5bn representing 64% of the Group’s revenue.
During the peak of the pandemic in the budget year 2020-21, Cargo contributed QAR 18.5bn (US$ 5.08bn) representing 64% of the Qatar Airways Group’s gross revenues. In 2021-22, Qatar Airways Cargo continues the sizeable contribution to the Group’s income as it is one of the few airlines operating in certain sectors to ensure that its customers and the global community receive the supplies they require.
G
uillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo, Qatar Airways, waxes eloquent on the performance of the carrier in this exclusive and exhaustive interview with Global Supply Chain. Global Supply Chain (GSC): Briefly, give us an overview of Qatar Airways Cargo in terms of where it stands in terms of performance and scale of operations among the global airfreight carriers? Guillaume Halleux (GH): Before the pandemic, 20% of the airline’s revenue came in from Cargo. Our market share in 2019 was 6.80% and it has certainly grown during the pandemic. In 2019, we
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transported close to 1,470,000 tonnes which increased by 3.45% in 2020 and much higher by 14.02% in the year 2021. In March 2021, our market share was 9% with a 21.9% growth (YTD March 2021). Currently, we are ranked number one with a market share of 7.95% (as of February 2022 YTD). We are immensely proud of our customer base and the business relationships we have nurtured for years. Ease of doing business, proactive communication, transparency of information, accessibility and innovative solutions are all qualities that our customers expect and value in Qatar Airways Cargo.
GSC: How significant is the UAE and the GCC region for Qatar Airways Cargo? GH: UAE and GCC are an integral region for Qatar Airways Cargo; we have always been a major player in these markets assisting our customers in both import and export activities. While the UAE/ GCC market is considered as an import market rather than export driven, Qatar Airways had consistently maintained a significant presence in the GCC region. Prior to the blockade we served these markets with more than 25 passenger flights daily out of the United Arab Emirates, more than ten flights daily
