Qatar Airways eyes top-five slot in cargo

[DUBAI] Qatar Airways Ltd plans to expand its cargo arm to become one of the top five global operators by 2018 as it purchases freighter planes and adds space in the holds of passenger jets while expanding its Doha base.

Qatar Airways, ranked outside the top 10 in 2013 by tonnes flown, has a freighter fleet comprising six Boeing Co 777Fs and three Airbus Group NV A330s with six further wide-bodies on order and the potential to add more, cargo unit chief executive officer Ulrich Ogiermann said in an interview.

Expansion of its freight terminal at Doha's new Hamad International Airport should double annual capacity to 2.8 million tonnes by 2017, he said.