Qatar Airways reported a record year for salmon cargo from Norway in 2021. Salmon accounted for 95 percent of the airline’s total perishable seafood cargo from the Scandinavian country.
Norway is the world’s largest exporter of salmon, with 1.3 million tonnes of salmon worth 57.8 billion euros ($28.9 billion).
“Salmon is a vulnerable commodity, requiring skilled, hygienic handling under controlled temperature conditions and, most importantly, rapid and reliable delivery to its final destination,” the carrier said in a report by Aviation24.
The company explained how it “reacted quickly to support Norwegian seafood exporters when the pandemic led to a significant reduction in cargo capacity.”
“Qatar Airways has significantly increased its capacity in the Norwegian seafood market with the arrival of commercial aircraft, including Harstad-Narvik Airport in Oysne and Bodo Airport in northern Norway,” said Rob Weltman, vice president of cargo at Qatar Airways Europe. “This is something that the market needs more than ever in 2021.”
“Qatar Airways Cargo moved more than 46,000 tonnes of Norwegian seafood in 2021, the highest ever,” added Weltman. “The airline is carrying more than 125 tonnes of seafood per day from Oslo.”
Qatar Airways is set to carry around 850 tonnes of Norwegian cargo per week, with Norwegian salmon being transported from Doha to countries in Asia and the Middle East.
