Qatar Airways service a boost for Johor-based manufacturers

23 November 2009 , By The Star

Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd (SATS) recently entered into an agreement with Qatar Airways for the airline to provide air freight services out of Senai Airport, Johor.

SATS is the owner of the Senai Airport.

SATS chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman said the routes served by the airline would be a boost for Johor-based manufacturers.

“The service will not only provide the air linkage for Johor-based cargo to Doha, but also to the rest of the Middle East, Europe and Africa on a twice weekly basis,” Mohd Sidik added.

Qatar Airway’s inaugural flight out of Johor to Doha left Senai Airport at 2.30am on Nov 12.

For now, Qatar Airways will be deploying a A300-600 freighter plane with a 35-tonne load capacity, on a twice-weekly basis for the Senai-Doha route.

Senai Airport is currently the only freight station for Qatar Airways in South-East Asia.

Cargo belonging to the airline’s customers originating from South-East Asian countries, will first be consolidated at Senai Airport before being air freighted.

“The economy seems to be showing signs of recovery. The demand for air freight services in Johor also looks to be picking up again,” Mohd Sidik said in a statement.

He also said it was anticipated that there would be an increased demand for air freight services in Johor over the next few years as Iskandar Malaysia continued to develop and attract more manufacturers and investors to set up base there.

“As the only airport in the south of Malaysia, we will develop Senai into an efficient logistics hub, capable of serving the cargo shipping needs of Johor and Iskandar Malaysia,” he said.