Bilateral trade volume between Qatar and Turkey is expected to go up following the recent launching of Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul-Doha cargo flights, says its Qatar general manager Mehmed Kursad Caymaz.

By Peter Alagos
Business Reporter

Bilateral trade volume between Qatar and Turkey is expected to increase following the recent launching of Istanbul-Doha cargo flights, an official of Turkish Airlines told Gulf Times.
Mehmed Kursad Caymaz, general manager of Turkish Airlines in Qatar, said a wide range of Turkish products such as food stuff, vegetables, textile, and infrastructure and construction-related materials “are getting a larger share in the Qatari market.”
“Before the launching of the new cargo flights, we were flying narrow-bodied aircraft and operated passenger flights with an A321; it is narrow-bodied and does not allow us to bring big volume cargo, which is why we launched the A330F last October 31,” said Caymaz, who added that the service will run until March 26, 2016.
The new service will also play a significant role in the modified automobile sector, according to Turkish Airlines marketing executive Omer Aslan, who said cars from Qatar are shipped to Turkey for modification.
Asked about expansion plans, Caymaz said the airline is looking to increase its cargo flights to Qatar with the support of transit cargo from the US and European markets.
“We hope to continue it all throughout the year…transit cargo would give Turkish Airlines more room for expansion of flights, especially those coming from the US and Europe,” said Caymaz, adding that the new service would fly every Saturday.
On growth of bilateral trade with Qatar, Caymaz said lower transportation costs will benefit many Qatari and Turkish businesses.
“The most important factor is less transportation costs; Qatar is becoming a big target market for Turkey that is why cargo flights have become necessary for us. There is an abundance of Turkish companies in almost all sectors from restaurants to infrastructure and this has generated a positive response from the market,” Caymaz explained.
Caymaz said plans are also in the pipeline to meet with businessmen in Qatar and to introduce the new cargo flights to the Qatar Chamber.
He also announced that from January to September 2015 capacity offered in Qatar in terms of available seat kilometres grew by 3.8% compared to the same period in 2014.
“The number of passengers carried increased by 4.6% to reach close to 100,000. Business/comfort class passengers increased by 24.5% for the same period and load factors also improved,” Caymaz said.
He said Istanbul has attracted many Qataris due to its family-oriented amenities such as amusement parks, aquariums, and malls, adding that nature tourism and a vibrant halal industry also played a significant role in bringing more Qataris to Turkey.
“These services are very important to attract Qatari families, because most of them choose their destinations based on what their children will enjoy,” Caymaz said.