Qatar Airways Cargo carried over 100 tons of garments in collaboration with one of its major customers, EFL (Expo Freight), headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, early this month. The garments were flown on a Boeing 777 freighter from Colombo to Rickenbacker International Airport in Colombus, Ohio for L Brands, the American fashion retailer based in Ohio.

L Brands, formerly known as Limited Brands, is featured on the Fortune 500 list of companies.

The Boeing 777 freighter shipment marks Qatar Airways Cargo’s first charter service to Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, Ohio and demonstrates how the carrier’s world-wide network opens global connection opportunities for other businesses in the region.

“We appreciate the trust that EFL has placed in us to deliver this special air charter,” said Ulrich Ogiermann, Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo. “Our extensive cargo network, young and modern fleet of 20 freighters and our expertise in freight charters are the competitive advantages that enable us to customize our connectivity and services to most of the airports in the world. With the current five times daily belly flights and twice weekly Airbus A330 freighters to and from Colombo, Sri Lanka, apparel and local industries in the country are offered more capacity, including quick and efficient connections to key trade markets in Europe and the Americas via our Doha hub.”

“This serves as a great example of logistic providers and airlines working together to tailor solutions that benefit supply chain customers,” said Hanif Yusoof, founder and chairman of EFL. “We look forward to increasing our engagement with carriers and customers, developing more customized solutions that are both timely and effective.”

The apparel industry is the most significant and dynamic contributor to Sri Lanka’s economy and is the primary foreign exchange earner, accounting for 40 per cent of the country’s total exports. The industry has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past four decades. The majority of apparel exports, including sportswear, lingerie, loungewear, bridal wear, workwear, swimwear, and children’s wear, are destined to the United States and Europe, regions where Qatar Airways Cargo has an extensive network.

Through its twice weekly Airbus A330 freighters and five times daily flights out of Colombo, the cargo carrier offers customers over 460 tons of cargo capacity from Sri Lanka each week, connecting local production companies to major import markets in Europe and the Americas, via the state-of-the-art hub in Doha.

The world’s third largest international air cargo carrier, Qatar Airways Cargo has made significant investments in its fleet, network, its hub and products in recent years, as part of its strategy and commitment to improve and enhance its product offering for the benefit of customers globally. Qatar Airways Cargo’s charter business showed a 150-percent increase in 2016-17, over the previous year. The cargo carrier also performed charters for a variety of products such as horses, cattle, pharmaceuticals, odd-size shipments, oil and gas products, art, concerts and exhibitions, machinery, mining and humanitarian relief goods.