Qatar Airways Cargo has increased its weekly flights between Doha and Budapest to three freighters, only seven months after the service launched.
The additional freighter will operate on Fridays. The other two operate on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights are by Airbus A300-200F aircraft that typically offer over 60 tons of cargo on each trip. The dedicated freighters complement the existing belly-hold cargo capacity on Qatar Airways’ daily Airbus A320 flights.
This month, Qatar Airways celebrated five years of direct scheduled services between Doha and Budapest.
Budapest Airport CEO Jost Lammers said: “We are delighted to see the success of Qatar Airways Cargo operations and we welcome the frequency increase, which is a quick response to market needs in Hungary and Qatar.
“The operations of Qatar Airways Cargo fit perfectly into our airport’s strategic plans to become a leading cargo centre in Central-Eastern Europe.”
René Droese, Director of Property in charge of cargo operations in Budapest, added: “Qatar Airways Cargo through its hub in Doha offers a gateway to all around the world, and especially in the Far East for commercial and industrial partners in Hungary.
“We highly value the partnership with Qatar Airways Cargo enabling Hungarian manufacturers to reach out to markets far away, and build a solid base for growth and creation of further jobs in the region.”
The CEO of Qatar Airways Cargo, Ulrich Ogiermann, said: “Qatar Airways Cargo has experienced tremendous success with the weekly two freighters to Budapest, and strong support from our customers has created the demand to increase capacity by a further 50 percent … .
“Budapest remains an important strategic hub for Qatar Airways Cargo, and our services maximise the potential of its geographical position in Eastern Europe.
“With consistently high loads we move a wide range of high-value commodities including automotive parts, machinery and a growing amount of specialist temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals to various destinations, not only to the 54-strong exclusive freighter destinations that Qatar Airways Cargo serves, but also across six continents via the belly-hold of the Qatar Airways passenger fleet via its state-of-the-art cargo facility at Hamad International Airport in Doha.”
In January-August 2016 Budapest Airport handled 70,268 tons of goods, and air cargo volume increased by 14.8% compared with the previous year. Budapest Airport serves the robust Hungarian electronic, fine machinery, automotive, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries with its increasing international connectivity for these export-oriented businesses.
