Qatar Airways expands its Airbus freighter fleet with $2.8bn order

Qatar Airways has placed a firm order for five new Airbus A330-200 Freighter aircraft in an agreement signed at the 2013 Dubai Airshow yesterday.

Included in the order are eight additional A330-200F options, which would make the deal potentially worth over $2.8bn at list prices for a total of 13 aircraft.

These aircraft will complement three A330-200Fs Qatar Airways already operates since earlier this year.

“The A330 family has demonstrated outstanding operational reliability and performance for both our passenger and cargo transport operations. It is with this in mind that we chose to expand our freighter fleets with more A330-200Fs,” said Akbar al-Baker, Qatar Airways CEO. “We aim to be the best in everything we do and the air cargo market is no different, which is why we ordered the most modern and economic cargo aircraft available in its category.”

The new aircraft will complement the airline’s rapidly growing network, which includes more than 40 routes that have dedicated freighter services.

“Qatar Airways is one of our key partners in the region and its selection of the A330-200F reflects its ambitious plans as the airline expands and invests in new freighter aircraft. The A330-200F, with up to 70 metric tonnes of payload, is the only viable alternative to large freighters in today’s fast-changing market, making it an ideal choice for a constantly evolving carrier,” said Fabrice Bregier, Airbus CEO.

Aimed at replacing ageing mid-sized freighters, the A330-200F offers an alternative to larger freighters within fleets. Benefiting from the technical superiority and market success of the A330 passenger version, it will offer opportunities to grow frequencies in under-served markets at no additional cost-per-tonne.

The A330-200F can carry 70 tonnes of payload, with a range capability of up to 4,000nm. This range and payload capability provides flexibility for both regional and intercontinental operations, versatility to match costs and frequencies with market expectations, thereby allowing operators to grow existing business and expand into new routes.