Qatar Airways Cargo has announced that it has updated its international freight network this week, with the launch of services connecting North America and China.

The new services are made up of the airline’s twice weekly flight into Macau – Qatar Airways Cargo’s fourth freight route into China following Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai  – and a new direct transpacific connecting Macau and North America.

The airline uses a Boeing 777 cargo plane which flies twice a week from Doha to Macau, after which the freighter makes its way across the Pacific to L.A and onto Mexico City.

For the return journey the 777, with a max cargo capacity of one hundred tonnes, heads to Liege in Belgium before arriving back in Doha. Electronics, garments and e-commerce goods are the major commodities exported out of Macau, while imports into Macau consists primarily of consumer goods.

“Air freight demand is high and the market is strong”

Qatar Airways chief officer for cargo, Guillaume Halleux, said: “We have launched our newest freighter destination, Macau, just in time for the holiday season when air freight demand is high and the market is strong. The new services will connect manufacturing industries and exporters from the region to North America directly and quickly, without requiring a stopover at our hub in Doha. The launch of these services demonstrates our commitment to our customers in helping their businesses grow, while also enabling us to expand our presence in these key regions.”

Macau becomes Qatar Airways Cargo’s fourth freighter destination in greater China after Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The cargo carrier also transports belly-hold cargo on passenger flights to seven destinations in Greater China. In North America, the carrier has an extensive network of nine freighter destinations and 11 belly-hold cargo destinations.