Qatar Airport Cargo Surge Cushions Blow From Saudi-Led Embargo - Bloomberg

Qatar Airport Cargo Surge Cushions Blow From Saudi-Led Embargo - Bloomberg:

"Qatar’s Hamad International Airport may be struggling with dropping passenger numbers amid a travel and trade ban imposed by rival Arab states, but the embargo has spurred air-freight volumes to record highs. The closure of the Mideast nation’s only land border with Saudi Arabia has led to an airlift-style operation to safeguard the supply of goods and produce spanning fresh milk to industrial gear previously transported by truck, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, the airport’s chief operating officer, said in an interview. Freight volumes at the hub, which opened in 2014, jumped 10 percent to 514,000 tons in the first quarter, according to the latest available figures. At the same time, the passenger tally slid 11 percent to 8.73 million and the number of aircraft takeoffs and landings tumbled 17 percent to 52,200."



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