JEDDAH – Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker has said that cargo transport, which is growing at 20 percent a year, accounts for 28 percent of Qatar Airway's revenue, highlighting meantime the operation of the the Hamad International Airport which will make Doha one of the biggest regional logistical spots in the world, Qatar News Agency reported Wednesday. Al Baker while addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the 7th International Conference on Air Cargo organized by IATA started in Doha on Tuesday. The three-day event is hosted by Qatar Airways. More than a 1000 specialists in the field are taking part in the conference. Cargo transport, which is growing at 20 percent a year, accounts for 28 percent of Qatar Airway's revenue, Al Baker said. The airline will start using a new 1 billion cargo complex on April 8 at the new 16 billion Hamad International Airport, which opens April 1, said Al Baker. The carrier's cargo capacity will rise by 530 tons a day when the seven planes are received, Al Baker said. Qatar seeks to become an Arab Gulf transport hub before hosting the 2022 World Cup of soccer. He pointed out that he would be on board the first flight of the Boeing 787 after the US civil aviation authorities and the US aviation authorities allow it resume their flight operations. He added that the Boeing 787 suffered negative campaign which undermined its safety capabilities. Qatar Airways Ltd, the second- biggest Gulf carrier, said it will receive seven new freight aircraft this year as it expands its cargo-carrying capacity by 40 percent. Al Baker further said that the airline has already received a new Airbus A330. Two more A330s will be delivered in the coming weeks and three additional by the end of the year. The company will also receive a Boeing 777 freighter by the middle of the year and will phase out three A300s, he said. "We look forward to being among the top five air cargo operators in the world within the next five years," he said. Al Baker added that Qatar Airways is preparing to buy 7 aircraft for air cargo during the current year at a cost of 2.5 billion, where the deal belongs to different models of cargo planes, pointing out that "Qatar Airways are currently registering the securities of establishing airlines in Saudi Arabia, the first operational phase of which will start with initial local trips and then in the second phase will start with international flights. – SG
