Qatar Airways Cargo has opened the world’s largest air cargo animal facility at its Doha hub to fulfill the rising volumes of animals being transported via the airport.
The new facility measures 5,260 sq m in contrast with 4,000 sq m on the earlier animal operation.
It gives 140 canine kennels, 40 cat kennels, 24 horse stables in 4 separate zones and particular areas for day-old chicks, birds, fish, reptiles and unique animals.
It differs from most airport animal services in that it primarily caters for transit shipments and due to this fact has devoted rooms for transit and import/export shipments, which have totally different customs formalities to finish.
The facility additionally has a big space to deal with cattle with pens for vets to look at sheep if required. The cattle space is air conditioned so cattle charters may be transported through the day, slightly than simply within the night as with the earlier facility.
There are additionally airside and landside docks for vehicles and dollies, the capability for the induction of 47 ULDs concurrently, 5 ULD rooms for constructed pallets and one room for pallet build and break.
The animal areas are temperature managed and in sure rooms music is piped in to assist calm the animals throughout their time within the facility.
There are additionally rooms that can be utilized flexibly throughout occasions of excessive demand – as an illustration through the peak falcon season when greater than 200 of the birds may be dealt with in a single day.
Vets work on the facility 24 hours a day to assist make sure the animals’ properly being.
Meanwhile, the horse stables and loading/unloading areas have smooth and non-slip flooring to assist keep away from harm.
The CEIV dwell animal licensed airline started formulating plans for the brand new facility in 2020 as a result of rising demand and in addition the growth of the service’s fleet, which means extra animals have been being transported via Doha.
Horse transport is one space of rising demand as extra occasions are launched across the globe and extra individuals take up horse possession.
Last yr, the airline transported 550,000 animals together with 10,000 horses.
The airline mentioned it was necessary to create a relaxed setting for animals as they are often on the facility for a lot of hours if they’re awaiting a transit flight.
The facility first opened on March 12 with animal transport operations being moved over from the prevailing facility in a phased method to ease the transition. That transition is now full.
Qatar Airways Cargo chief officer cargo Mark Drusch described the brand new facility as unimaginable and mentioned the most important service of animals now had the most important facility to match.
He mentioned that a variety of thought had been put into the emotional side of transporting animals, with the ability designed to de-stress them as a lot as potential.
“We are committed to advocating for [animals] welfare globally, ensuring our operations respect and contribute positively to their overall well-being,” Drusch mentioned.
“This holistic approach to animal care is a fundamental part of our ethos, driving us to innovate and lead the industry.”
Source: Qatar Airways Cargo
In line with the opening of the brand new animal centre, the airline additionally introduced a sequence of enhancements to its dwell animal transport service.
This contains an internet calculator instrument that determines the best kennel dimension in compliance with IATA Live Animal Regulations (LAR); refined customer support procedures with a devoted management tower for delicate shipments; digitalised LAR coaching to make sure speedy workers compliance; and a pet card service that features updates and pictures of pets throughout transit.
“With our new animal centre and service enhancements, we are not just setting new standards for animal transport, we’re actively working towards a future where every aspect of our operations reflects a deep respect for animal welfare, embodying our commitment to making a meaningful difference in their lives,” added Drusch.
