7th World Cargo Symposium to be Held in Doha This Week

Doha, March 10 (QNA) - The 7th World Cargo Symposium organized annually by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is to be held under the patronage of HE Yousef Hussain Kamal, Minister of Economy and Finance of the State of Qatar. Final preparations are underway to welcome more than 1,000 delegates to one of the world s largest meeting of air freight executives and stakeholders taking place in the Qatari capital Doha this week. The three-day event, between March 12 14, will focus on the role of the Middle East in the global air cargo industry and address both the challenges and opportunities faced. Qatar Airways, the country s national airline, is the conference host, while its freight subsidiary Qatar Airways Cargo is the main sponsor. Local sponsors include International Bank of Qatar (IBQ), Ooredoo (formerly known as Qtel) and Alfardan Automobiles. HE the Minister Yousef Hussain Kamal will deliver an opening day address. Speeches will also be given by IATA Director General and Chief Executive Officer Tony Tyler and Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker. Qatar Airways is flying many air freight executives and airline officials to this important event on the industry s calendar. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the airline was proud to support such a prominent conference in Doha. "We are excited to play a key role in bringing IATA s World Cargo Symposium to Qatar and to the Middle East for the first time, flying in some of the world's most important cargo executives for what promises to be a world-class conference," he said. "The World Cargo Symposium is a significant event allowing opportunity to network, share ideas and discuss best business practices in the air freighter industry. "We are proud of the support of Qatar-based organizations in making this event one of the largest in the history of IATA s annual conferences. I sincerely thank IBQ Bank, Ooredoo (Qtel) and Alfardan Automobiles for their support," he added. Qatar Airways dedicated cargo network is an extension of the airline s strategy to develop its global passenger services. The airline currently serves 41 dedicated freighter routes with eight cargo aircraft. 2013 is set to be an exciting year for Qatar Airways Cargo, with new aircraft joining the fleet and more freighter destinations to be added. The new cargo terminal at the soon-to-be-opened Hamad International Airport in Doha will include state-of-the-art infrastructure, able to facilitate 1.4 million tonnes of freight each year, and continuing to provide a world-class cargo service with a commitment to offering only the very best Five Star service to the airline s valued customers worldwide. Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying to 125 key destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas. Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch scheduled flights to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Chicago, USA (April 10); Salalah, Oman (May 22); Chengdu, China, at a date to be confirmed, with many more start-ups to be announced. (QNA)