January 6 - Qatar Airways Cargo has received its first Boeing 747 nose-loading freighter.
On lease from Turkish carrier myCARGO Airlines, the Boeing-converted nose-loading version replaces a side-loading B747-400 freighter that was added to Qatar Airways Cargo's fleet earlier this year.
At a press conference in October 2015, Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar Al Baker, commented: "The B747 was invested in to carry outsize cargo. It has given us the opportunity to fill a small void in our fleet. There is a possibility that we may lease more of these nose-loading aircraft to increase capacity."
The airline also added a new Airbus A330 freighter, bringing its current fleet up to 16 freighter aircraft.
Ulrich Ogiermann, chief officer cargo at Qatar Airways, added that the arrival of the new aircraft comes at a time when the airline is experiencing unprecedented growth, and is expected to expand its total fleet to reach 21 freighters by 2017.
