Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA) will soon welcome Qatar Airways Cargo when the carrier launches a weekly Wednesday service to Doha with a stop in Zaragoza, Spain.
The new service, set to begin on 20 July, 2016, will operate with a Boeing 777-200 freighter. The freighter can carry up to 103 tonnes of cargo. Much of that cargo will be Nova Scotia lobster and silver hake.
Halifax International Airport Authority president and chief executive officer, Joyce Carter says: “This new route will support our local seafood industry and have a positive impact on our provincial economy. Last year, goods valued at $438 million were shipped from Halifax Stanfield across the world.
“As the interest in Nova Scotia lobster exports continues to grow, our prime location on the Atlantic coast is attracting top cargo carriers and the addition of Qatar is another example of the continued growth of our cargo exports.”
The flight is scheduled to arrive in Halifax on Wednesdays at 03.20h from New York and depart for Zaragoza then on to Doha at 05.20h. From its hub in Doha, the seafood will be transported throughout the Middle East as well as South and North East Asia.
Qatar Airways chief officer for cargo, Ulrich Ogiermann says: “We are very happy to add Halifax to our growing list of new routes. From its strategic geographical position, not only will it provide our customers with great access to the Canadian marketplace, it will allow us to share one of Canada’s most sumptuous exports with the world.”
Shipments of live seafood from Halifax Stanfield continue to grow. By the end of May 2016, the value of seafood cargo shipped from Halifax Stanfield is 21.3 per cent higher than last year and the Qatar Airways Cargo flight will further boost this. Each weekly freighter is expected to generate $1 million in new exports for the province.
