Hamad International Airport commences operations with its first cargo shipment

 The shipment for Qatar Petroleum was transferred from Europe to Doha. The new cargo terminal, which is one of the largest in the world, has the capacity to move 5700 shipments simultaneously and to handle 1.4 million tonnes of cargo per year by 2015, representing a 75 percent increase from the current airport capacity.

“Today marks a historic moment not just for Hamad International Airport but also for Qatar Airways Cargo,” said a Qatar Airways spokesperson. “The cargo terminal complex at HIA will play a significant role in expanding our global cargo business and propels Doha as the preferred cargo hub in the region, as a result of its sophisticated cargo infrastructure and capacity.”

The cargo terminal contains 32 truck-loading stations to ensure the efficient transfer of cargo in and out of Qatar, with full X-ray screening systems in place to support the airport’s important focus on maximum security in the transportation of people and cargo.

The terminal is also highly automated for increased cargo efficiency, and has an automated storage and retrieval system to locate and process up to 1000 Unit Load Devices (ULDs) at a time.