SRI Lanka-based freight forwarder EFL has started shipping 90 tonnes of cargo on one of the two weekly flights to Pittsburgh international airport operated by Qatar Airways Cargo using a Boeing 777 freighter.
With operations in 18 countries and seven offices in the US, including five in the Midwest and east coast, EFL began shipping on Qatar Airways service to Pittsburgh in May, opening up a new market for EFL and becoming a steady customer of the airline. The move also bolstered the airport's visibility in the air cargo and shipping industry, reported Pittsburgh Business Times.
Qatar Airways Cargo flies the Boeing 777Fs, with a cargo capacity of 100 tonnes, twice weekly between Pittsburgh and Luxembourg and then onto Doha, Qatar. The Allegheny County Airport Authority provided US$1.5 million in economic incentives for the first year of the service and has just signed a second-year contract that would provide a maximum to Qatar Airways of $780,000, depending on average load in tonnes per month.
'Support goes up the more they bring in,' Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis was quoted as saying.
EFL Group CEO Senthil Shanmugam told the Business Times that as a freight forwarder, EFL was intrigued by the idea of having another distribution point beyond the major cargo hubs of New York and Chicago.
EFL's customers include textile and apparel companies inbound, mainly from Asia. Shipping out of the country via EFL include many top American brands in apparel, electronics and other high-tech products.
'We're always looking for innovative solutions to differentiate the service and bring efficiency to supply chains,' said Mr Shanmugam. 'In that sense, Pittsburgh is a logical gateway because if you get into any of the major airports, you might bring in the freight in 72 hours but it might take you longer to get to the customers' facilities or to their DCs (distribution centres).'
WORLD SHIPPING
With operations in 18 countries and seven offices in the US, including five in the Midwest and east coast, EFL began shipping on Qatar Airways service to Pittsburgh in May, opening up a new market for EFL and becoming a steady customer of the airline. The move also bolstered the airport's visibility in the air cargo and shipping industry, reported Pittsburgh Business Times.
Qatar Airways Cargo flies the Boeing 777Fs, with a cargo capacity of 100 tonnes, twice weekly between Pittsburgh and Luxembourg and then onto Doha, Qatar. The Allegheny County Airport Authority provided US$1.5 million in economic incentives for the first year of the service and has just signed a second-year contract that would provide a maximum to Qatar Airways of $780,000, depending on average load in tonnes per month.
'Support goes up the more they bring in,' Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis was quoted as saying.
EFL Group CEO Senthil Shanmugam told the Business Times that as a freight forwarder, EFL was intrigued by the idea of having another distribution point beyond the major cargo hubs of New York and Chicago.
EFL's customers include textile and apparel companies inbound, mainly from Asia. Shipping out of the country via EFL include many top American brands in apparel, electronics and other high-tech products.
'We're always looking for innovative solutions to differentiate the service and bring efficiency to supply chains,' said Mr Shanmugam. 'In that sense, Pittsburgh is a logical gateway because if you get into any of the major airports, you might bring in the freight in 72 hours but it might take you longer to get to the customers' facilities or to their DCs (distribution centres).'
WORLD SHIPPING