QATAR AIRWAYS (QA) is usually known for its high quality flying offerings but the company has now opened a state-of-the-art animal centre and the relaunch of its “Next Generation Live” product, setting new benchmarks in the transport of live animals. As a leading transporter, with more than 550 000 animals including 10 000 horses flown in 2023, the airline reaffirms its commitment to animal welfare.
Chief Officer Cargo at QA Cargo, Mark Drusch, said they recognise that their responsibility extends far beyond the mere transportation of animals.
“I am an animal lover and pet owner. The care of living creatures is a top priority for QA Cargo and for me personally. We are committed to providing a safe and comfortable experience for all animals flying with us globally. This holistic approach to animal care is a fundamental part of our ethos, driving us to innovate and lead in the industry. With our new centre and service enhancements, we’re 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.”
The 5 260m² facility is equipped with many cutting-edge features and is the largest and newest in the world. It has a dedicated Live Animals team, experienced 24/7 on-site vets and state-of-the-art animal facilities. The team said they look after animals as if they were their own.
“Our animal centre is not just a standard location to keep animals. We have added elements to provide extra comfort and a more relaxed atmosphere for animals in our care. This includes playing soothing music in our dog kennels to help calm them, and ensuring our horse stables are padded for safety and comfort. We have also added a modern ‘Groom’s Room’ attendant lounge for specialists accompanying animals, providing a comfortable living space within the animal centre for them to rest,” he added.
For peace of mind, for pet cats and dogs which are transiting via Doha, the centre offers an exclusive pet card, where they inform customers how their pet is doing on their journey and provide a photo of them in our care. This helps to assure customers of their well-being.
“It is these differences that prove our commitment to going above and beyond when it comes to animal care,” Drusch said.
So far, QA has transported lions, tigers, rhinos and more through their WeQare ‘Rewild the Planet’ initiative which offers free transportation to organisations involved in returning wild animals to their natural habitat.
“It takes a lot of effort and logistics for our team to organise moving such large animals; from the logistics at the airports, loading and unloading the animals from the aircraft, to ensuring the correct cages and well-being of the animals are in place. But it is something we are all collectively very proud and passionate to be a part of and will continue to do,” he said.
The facility greatly enhances the experience for all animals arriving in or transiting through Hamad International Airport. The facility has kennel capacity for 140 dogs, 40 cats, 24 stables distributed in 4 zones with separate airflows for proper segregation, separate rooms for birds, live fish, reptiles, day-old chicks and animals loaded on unit load devices. It also boasts an airside interface with five truck docks and six dolly docks and three landside truck interfaces for horses, livestock and other animals.
It has the capacity to accommodate full freighters of sheep or cattle at the centre with an adequate HVAC system to manage air quality for proper handling.
“We are spearheading the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking with a zero-tolerance policy, in partnership with United for Wildlife (UfW) whereby Qatar Airways is Official Airline Partner. Qatar Airways is proud to be an inaugural signatory to the United for Wildlife Transport Industry Declaration and a partner in the USAID Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) Partnership. In 2019, QA became the first airline to achieve IATA’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Assessment certification and has since maintained the certification in subsequent assessments. We have restricted the transport of all snub or pug-nosed breeds of cats and dogs as cargo due to the inherent risks to their health. We don’t carry animals intended for cosmetic testing and there is a permanent ban on transport of all hunting trophies,” Drusch added.
Through WeQare, the airline also supports humanitarian aid by offering free transport of aid for UNHCR and Airlink and other organisations seeking such help.
“Our ‘Rewild the Planet’ initiative continues to support NGOs in the free transportation of wild animals back to their natural habitat.
“The transport of wildlife by air is very complex since we are transporting living animals with unique personalities. When transporting animals, there are key factors such as aircraft environmental control system settings, airport and en-route environments, ground handling, animal physiology and this varies species by species. There are many remarkable stories of animals flown on Qatar Airways Cargo. We recently transported six lions from Kuwait to Africa under Rewild the Planet. Known as the ‘Kuwait 6’. The lions were either seized or captured after being abandoned and cared for at Kuwait Zoo. Animal Defenders International (ADI) was contacted by Kuwait government officials to help the lions, so ADI offered them a home at their 455-acre sanctuary in South Africa and we stepped in to offer free transport for ADI,” he said.
Another fulfilling shipment QA transported a few years back, though not part of WeQare, was Peggy the Olive Ridley turtle. She flew from Brussels to Maldives via Doha. Peggy was rescued by a team of Marine Savers when she got trapped in fishing nets in 2016. She had to get one flipper removed, in order to save her life. After this important surgery, Peggy got the chance to recover in the aquarium of Pairi Daiza, elected Europe’s best zoo in 2019. With the excellent care of her keepers in the Belgian facilities, Peggy regained confidence and the ability to swim.
After three years of rehabilitation, Peggy was released back into the ocean.
Saturday Day
norman.cloete@inl.co.za