Qatar Airways Cargo Announces Massive Expansion in South America in 2020 with Four New Destinations.

Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the leading air cargo carriers is excited to announce major expansion of services in South America. Scheduled services to Campinas, Brazil (VCP), Santiago, Chile (SCL), Lima, Peru (LIM) and Bogotá, Colombia (BOG) will join the airline’s global freighter network on 16 January 2020 and will be serviced by a Boeing 777 freighter. The twice-weekly flights to Bogotá from Doha will operate via Luxembourg and Miami, while the service from Bogotá to Doha will operate via Liège, offering 200 tonnes on each leg. The twice-weekly flights to Campinas from Doha will operate via Luxembourg with the service from Campinas to Doha, operating via Santiago, Lima, Dallas and Luxembourg, also offering 200 tonnes on each leg. These new destinations will commence close on the heels of the recent arrival of the airline’s twenty-first brand new Boeing 777 freighter on 25 November 2019. The new freighter increased the airline’s freighter fleet to 28 aircraft. Qatar Airways Cargo also has an order for five additional Boeing 777 freighters, placed at the Paris Air Show 2019, with deliveries starting from April 2020 onwards. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Air cargo is a crucial element in the global transport system that supports international trade and the free flow of goods around the world. The addition of these four new routes in South America further reinforces our position as one of the world’s leading air cargo providers, operating one of the largest networks in the world with the youngest and most environmentally efficient fleet in the industry.” Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo, Mr. Guillaume Halleux, said, “We are very excited about our expansion in South America. The Americas are a very important market for us and there is a huge demand for South American fresh produce in Asia. With the introduction of our twice-weekly Boeing 777 freighter services, we offer exporters in South America a direct route for their cargo and a global network. Importers also stand to gain from the huge capacity to bring in their cargo to South America.” General cargo, pharmaceuticals, and perishables will form the majority of goods imported and exported to and from South America along with some movements of live animals and high-value items like telecommunication equipment, electronics and other valuable cargo. The award-winning cargo carrier has an extensive network in The Americas serving 18 freighter and 13 belly-hold cargo destinations in the region. The carrier recently completed a year of successful transpacific operations, now operating four-times weekly freighters direct from Asia to North America. Qatar Airways Cargo has made substantial investment in its operations at Doha hub and globally to ensure all cargo deliveries are processed efficiently and seamlessly. Special facilities and well-trained personnel ensure expert handling over a wide variety of product categories, such as express, livestock, valuables, perishables, oversized cargo and general cargo that require air freight carriage. Its portfolio of distinctive products currently includes QR Pharma for pharmaceuticals, QR Fresh for perishables, QR Live for live animals, QR Express for time-sensitive cargo, QR Mail for postal consignments globally and QR Charter offering cost-effective global charter solutions. Value-added services are also available to offer its customers fast confirmation and priority or guaranteed uplift to and from Qatar Airways Cargo’s online destinations.

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Typhoon Hits Philippines, Disrupting Travel, Work.

MANILA - A typhoon struck the Philippines on Tuesday bringing heavy rains and prompting preemptive halts in air travel, schools and government offices, with some 200,000 people evacuated after warnings of floods and landslides. The main airport in Manila would be closed for 12 hours from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. as a precaution, although air travel continued in unaffected areas of the country.

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Hong Kong Airlines in Jeopardy of Being Dissolved.

Financially beleaguered Hong Kong Airlines is not only unable to meet November payroll for almost half of its employees, but it was given five days to find more investors or risk losing its permit to fly. The Air Transport Licensing Authority of Hong Kong (ATLA) has given Hong Kong Airlines until Saturday, Dec. 7, to produce new investors or more cash. If not, its license to fly will likely be suspended or revoked.

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Dubai cruise season to host a million visitors.

With the start of a new cruise season in October, Dubai has stepped up its drive to attract more cruise travellers keen to explore and enjoy the city’s winter sun offerings as part of efforts to further strengthen its position as a leading cruise hub of the region. The upcoming 2019/2020 season is expected to welcome more than 200 ship calls and an estimated one million cruise visitors.

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First Seasonal Flight of 2019 Takes off to New York City

The first seasonal flight into the heart of New York City takes to the skies today from Newcastle International Airport. Each year, holidaymakers can take a bite of the Big Apple and fly directly from the North East’s largest airport thanks to Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks. The trips are perfectly timed to focus on the key holiday periods – so travellers can purchase their stocking fillers in New York’s sprawling shopping streets before visiting the impressive Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree. Leon McQuaid, Head of Aviation Development at Newcastle International Airport, said: “The Newcastle to New York flights are incredibly popular with the North East travelling public and they experience exceptional demand. “We always want our passengers to have great choice from their local airport, and we are pleased that the programme with Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks will be returning again next year.” Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks said: “Our New York trips have once again proved extremely popular with customers looking to enjoy a break to the Big Apple ahead of Christmas, and we’re delighted to be offering another programme of direct flights and unforgettable trips to the magical city from Newcastle Airport for Winter 20.” The company recently announced that it would be adding a series of four-night trips to New York City, some of which will include Thanksgiving celebrations, as part of its Winter 20 programme from Newcastle Airport. As well as award-winning flights with Jet2.com, there are package breaks for sale with Jet2CityBreaks across iconic 3-5 star hotels in central New York locations. The 2020 trips will depart on November 22, November 26, December 3 and December 17, giving holidaymakers fantastic choice and flexibility when it comes to visiting the world-famous city.

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Indians No Longer Need Visas To Travel To Brazil

President Jair Bolsonaro announced that Brazil intends to make a visit to the country visa free for Indian and Chinese citizens visiting for tourism and business. Previously, the country had relaxed the norms for U.S.A., Canada, Australia and Japan, and now has done the same for India, soon after Russia too relaxed norms for Indian travellers. Brazil is the largest South American country and occupies close to half of the continent’s landmass. It is home to diverse landscapes, from the Amazon rainforests in the north, a long coastline to the east and grasslands and wetlands in the central and western parts of the country. A wide variety of flora and fauna can be found here, making it a hotspot for wildlife and nature enthusiasts. The country is the product of the rich native cultures of the region, waves of European settlers, and migration from Africa and the Middle East. Urban centres like São Paulo and Rio de Janerio are abuzz with colour and verve, while recently, the 17th-century town of Paraty was awarded an UNESCO World Heritage site status.

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