Cargo Breaking News
Qatar Airways Cargo has opened the world’s largest air cargo animal facility at its Doha hub to meet the rising volumes of animals being transported through the airport. The new facility measures 5,260 sq m compared with 4,000 sq m at the previous animal operation. It offers 140 dog kennels, 40 cat kennels, 24 horse stables in four separate zones and special areas for day-old chicks, birds, fish, reptiles and exotic animals. It differs from most airport animal facilities in that it mainly caters for transit shipments and therefore has dedicated rooms for transit and import/export shipments, which have different customs formalities to complete.
The facility also has a large area to handle cattle with pens for vets to examine sheep if required. The cattle area is air conditioned so cattle charters can be transported during the day, rather than just in the evening as with the previous facility.
There are also airside and landside docks for trucks and dollies, the capacity for the induction of 47 ULDs simultaneously, five ULD rooms for built pallets and one room for pallet build and break.
The animal areas are temperature controlled and in certain rooms music is piped in to help calm the animals during their time in the facility.
There are also rooms that can be used flexibly during times of high demand – for instance during the peak falcon season when more than 200 of the birds can be handled in a single day.
Vets work at the facility 24 hours a day to help ensure the animals’ well being.
