On November 20, 2024, Beijing, China - Qatar Airways Cargo, the world's leading air cargo operator, proudly announced the launch of a new strategic partnership with Malaysia Airlines Cargo. Malaysia Airlines Cargo is a cargo airline and subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines Group.
This cooperation was jointly launched by Mr. Mark Drusch, Chief Cargo Officer of Qatar Airways Cargo, and Mr. Mark Jason Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airlines Cargo, on November 19th local time, marking an important milestone in global cargo connectivity and operational efficiency improvement.
The two parties have been cooperating since October 1, 2024, and have successfully transported approximately 2400 tons of goods, including over 600 tons of perishable goods and 130 tons of pharmaceuticals.
Qatar Airways Cargo will operate two weekly flights from Doha to Kuala Lumpur, operated by Boeing 777 freighters, adding over 200 tons of cargo capacity. Meanwhile, through this strategic partnership, Malaysia Airlines Cargo's Airbus A330 freighter will provide over 75 tons of cargo services to Sydney and Melbourne per week, with cargo transported to these cities requiring only 8 hours of processing time in Kuala Lumpur. This cooperation further consolidates the position of Doha International Airport (DOH) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) as global strategic hubs, providing customers with more efficient connections and advanced cargo handling facilities.
In addition, this cooperation agreement has created a win-win situation for both parties. Malaysia Airlines Cargo will be able to expand into key markets such as Europe, Gulf countries, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Africa, while Qatar Airways Cargo will gain stronger capacity, further covering Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and Northeast Asia. At the same time, this cooperation will also contribute to the development of the local market in Kuala Lumpur and promote the export of more products to major international markets around the world.
Mr. Mark Jason Thomas, CEO of Malaysia Airlines Cargo, said, "Today marks an important milestone in the development of Malaysia Airlines Cargo, and we are pleased to join hands with Qatar Airways Cargo to build a truly interconnected global cargo network. This cooperation demonstrates the significant progress of Malaysia Airlines Cargo in connecting customers with the world at higher speeds and efficiencies. Through this partnership, Malaysia Airlines Cargo will further consolidate its role as a bridge between Southeast Asia and key global destinations. This alliance not only strengthens our infrastructure and capacity, but also enables us to better support regional economic development, promote high demand goods to enter broader international markets, and establish new service standards for the air cargo industry
In July 2024, Qatar Airways Cargo and Malaysia Airlines Cargo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), committed to providing better product services to cargo customers and achieving operational synergy. Through this strategic freight cooperation agreement, both parties will fully leverage their respective network coverage advantages and fleet capacity, significantly improving the overall level of freight services.
The cooperation between Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines is not limited to the cargo sector. As members of the One World Alliance, both parties have established a deep cooperative relationship in the field of passenger transportation. The code sharing agreement between both parties covers 62 destinations, including Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Africa, fully reflecting the commitment of both parties to providing seamless travel experiences for travelers. The strategic memorandum of understanding signed by both parties in 2022 further deepens this cooperation, bringing passengers more flight options and richer travel destinations.