Qatar Airways Cargo is launching a door-to-door courier delivery service named QR Express.
It was unveiled by the airline's Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, earlier this this week at a press conference in Doha.
"QR Express provides clients with the opportunity to book through a simplified system with high boarding priority and rapid handling, guaranteeing the speedy delivery of their cargo," Qatar Airways said in a statement.
"Other key features include short and flexible close outs, quick and dedicated ramp transfer (for transit express), as well as priority loading at origin and unloading at final destination and speedy retrieval at final destination (approximately 90 minutes)."
Contacted by CEP Research, Qatar Airways Cargo declined to comment further on the launch of QR Express.
According to a report in on-line publication, The Loadstar, from Doha, which quoted Akbar Al Baker, the new express product is aimed at global e-commerce.
“We want to get into the courier business which is high-yield, high-margin business,” he said. “We are very keen, and this is the first step.
"We don’t want to be the likes of FedEx, DHL or UPS, but we want to play a significant part in this very lucrative business.”
Noting that Qatar would “partner with our friends at FedEx to feed into their network,” he added: “FedEx’s network in America alone is bigger than our total network, so we are really not going to compete. But we are going to compete within our sphere of influence, where we operate.”
In the UK, with its significant e-commerce market and sales expected to reach £52 billion this year, Mr Al Baker noted that the airline would focus on the higher population areas, such as London, Manchester and Edinburgh, already within its network, rather than regional cities such as Southampton, The Loadstar's report highlighted.
The carrier will subcontract door-to-door delivery to a third party, which will operate the final-mile delivery under the Qatar Airways brand.
“We don’t want to confuse the brands,” said Mr Al Baker.
The Loadstar report also quoted Qatar Airways' chief cargo officer, Ulrich Ogiermann, who said the test phase had already been launched in London and will roll out to another couple of stations this year.
“We can’t do this on a worldwide basis all at once. We have to build up the expertise on the ground with the third-party provider,” he said.
