Qatar Airways Cargo has continued its relief efforts to Nepal operating a total of 12 freighter services to deliver urgent aid to Kathmandu following the devastating earthquakes that recently hit the country. The cargo carrier’s first freighter left Doha for Kathmandu within 24 hours of the earthquake and was the first commercial airline to touchdown at Tribhuvan International Airport following the first earthquake.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways was able to respond rapidly to support the people of Nepal, providing dedicated freighter aircraft to transport much needed relief aid, including medicine, food, water, generators and volunteers, to those in need.

“Additional Qatar Airways ground staff were deployed on the first aircraft to assist the airport operation and distribution of humanitarian aid and to ensure that Qatar Airways staff working in Kathmandu received support and care.”

Some 400 tonnes of relief aid, including medicines, food supplies, tents, water filters and generators provided by charities including Qatar’s charity RAF, have been flown to Nepal. Qatar Airways Cargo worked in conjunction with local and international charities to provide free transportation of food and water filters to support Nepal’s recovery and to provide aid to areas of the country that have no clean water as a result of the disaster. The aid was distributed by local charity groups throughout the capital.

Qatar Airways staff also assisted Tribhuvan Airport’s Air Traffic Control tower team to manage the large air traffic flows into the airport, and to ensure operations were maintained throughout the crisis.