(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Qatar Airways has placed a firm order for five new Airbus A330-200 Freighter aircraft in an agreement signed today at the Dubai Airshow 2013
A Qatar Airways press release said these new aircraft will complement the airline's rapidly growing network, which includes more than 40 routes that have dedicated freighter services
Included in the order are eight additional A330-200F options which would make today's deal potentially worth over $2.8 Billion at list prices for a total of 13 aircraft
These aircraft on order will complement three A330-200Fs Qatar Airways already operates since earlier this year
"The A330 Family has demonstrated outstanding operational reliability and performance for both our passenger and cargo transport operations
It is with this in mind that we chose to expand our freighter fleets with more A330-200Fs", said Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways CEO
"We aim to be the best in everything we do, the air cargo market is no different, which is why we ordered the most modern and economic cargo aircraft available in its category"
Airbus Chief Executive Officer, Fabrice Bregier said, "Qatar Airways is one of our key partners in the region, and its selection of the A330-200F illuminates its ambitious plans as the airline expands and invests in new freighter aircraft
The A330-200F, with up to 70 metric tonnes of payload, is the only viable alternative to large freighters in today's fast changing market, making it an ideal choice for a constantly evolving carrier"
Qatar Airways continues to be a highly valued customer and partner with Airbus - a relationship which has flourished since the airline received its first Airbus aircraft in 1997
Today Airbus aircraft form an ever more essential cornerstone of Qatar Airways' global operations with more than 200 aircraft directly ordered across all modern Airbus product families, from the single-aisle A320 all the way up to the flagship A380
Aimed at replacing ageing mid-sized freighters, the A330-200F offers an alternative to larger freighters within fleets
Benefiting from the technical superiority and market success of the A330 passenger version, it will offer opportunities to grow frequencies in under-served markets at no additional cost-per-tonne
The A330-200F is the world's most modern mid-size freighter and can carry 70 tonnes of payload, with a range capability of up to 4,000nm
This range and payload capability provides flexibility for both regional and intercontinental operations, versatility to match costs and frequencies with market expectations, thereby allowing operators to grow existing business and expand into new routes
Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 128 aircraft to 133 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas
In 2013, Qatar Airways has launched eleven destinations to date € Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Najaf (Iraq), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Chicago (USA), Salalah (Oman), Basra (Iraq), Sulaymaniyah (Iraq), Chengdu (China), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Ta'if (Saudi Arabia) and most recently Clark Manila International Airport (Philippines)
Over the next few weeks and months, the network will grow further with Hangzhou, China (December 20, 2013), Sharjah and Dubai World Central, both in the UAE (March 1, 2014), Philadelphia, USA (April 2, 2014) and Miami, USA (June 10, 2014).(QNA)
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