The national airlines have solidified its status as a major transporter of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.
Over 600 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been delivered to various countries around the globe by Qatar Airways Cargo during the course of the pandemic, new statistics found.
The national carrier’s annual report for 2021-2022 revealed that the Gulf nation was able to fulfill its obligation to the Unicef COVAX programme by carrying more than 154 million doses of COVID-19 vaccinations.
“The airline transported more than 600 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines over the course of the pandemic to date and also concentrated its efforts in enhancing its renowned Pharma product and industry presence,” the report read.
The assistance was part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in February 2021 by both parties to provide transportation for crucial vaccination for up to five years, the report stated.
By transporting a whopping number of 600 million doses and a gross tonnage of medical equipment, PPE, and critical supplies, Qatar Airways has solidified its status as a major transporter of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.
“Serving over 65 dedicated freighter destinations and more than 140 belly-hold passenger destinations worldwide, the carrier mirrored its strong performance from 2020/2021, operating a maximum of 155 flights per day at its peak in the month of June 2021,” the report read.
“With a tonnage growth of 272,975 tonnes in chargeable weight, Qatar Airways Cargo demonstrated almost 10% growth on the same period in the previous year, transporting 3,000,961 tonnes of air freight and accounting for a 7.99% share in the global market from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.”
Such efforts deemed crucial for pandemic recovery all around the world.
For the past few years, Doha has been providing assistance to tens of countries with medical shortage during the pandemic, saving thousands of lives and helping nations recover at a faster pace.
Qatar Airways Cargo also joined Pharma.Aero and the Cool Chain Association in July 2021 in an effort to ensure shipments are delivered safely and any medical waste is prevented.
In the span of one year, the cargo also won three significant industry awards, including Cargo Operator of the Year at the ATW Airline Awards, Cargo Airline of the Year, and Air Cargo Industry Achievement Award at Air Cargo Week’s World Air Cargo Awards.
As part of its WeQare sustainability campaign, the carrier also launched a new voluntary carbon offsetting scheme in November 2021, making it the first airline to sign up for the IATA CO2NNECT platform.
