Qatar Airways Cargo shipped over 100 tonnes 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.

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 tonnes 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.