Starting next Monday, December 14, Doha-based Qatar Airways Cargo will use passenger Boeing 777-300s to transport salmon and other seafood from Norway to Doha. the cargo will then be shipped to destinations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
The Gulf State carrier said it would fly to Harstad-Narvik Airport (EVE) in northern Norway to help reduce transport times for seafood of the region. Harstad-Narvik Airport is located in Nordland county, Norway, and serves the cities of Harstad and Narvik. The airport is shared with the Royal Norwegian Air Force and has a 2,808-meter (9,213 ft) runway that can handle planes as large as the Boeing 747 and the United States Air Force C-5 Galaxy.
Qatar Airways plans to fly to Harstad-Narvik Airport three times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. It says its three weekly flights can handle up to 150 tons of Norwegian seafood exports. On the flights out of Hamad International Airport (DOH), Qatar Airways says it can handle 50 tons of imports into Norway from its worldwide network.
By offering direct flights from northern Norway to Doha, the state-owned airline’s customers benefit from reduced transport times as the seafood can be shipped directly rather than traveling first to Oslo by ship or truck. Time is a crucial component when it comes to transporting perishables like fresh fish. Just to give you an idea of the distance, a truck would have to drive 1,688 kilometers (1,048 miles) from Harstad to Oslo.
Qatar Airways QR Fresh solution maintains all types of perishable goods at their optimal temperature from their departure point through to the final destination, preserving the product’s quality and freshness.
Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, Qatar Airways Cargo has managed to operate its scheduled cargo freighters and passenger belly-hold flights to ensure the continuity of uninterrupted global trade.
While not being used to carry passengers during the current downturn in the number of people flying, using passenger Boeing 777s to transport fresh fish sounds like the people over at Qatar Airways are thinking outside the box.
Simple Flying – 2018 – 2020