Dubai: Aggressively moving ahead with its cargo expansion, Qatar Airways plans to expand its cargo fleet to about 15 aircraft by 2015 from the current five, according to chief executive Akbar Al Baker, who said last week the airline would take a 33 per cent stake in European cargo carrier Cargolux.

"We are planning to convert as many as 15 Airbus A330s into freighters, hopefully by 2015 depending on how many slots we get for the conversion from Airbus with their centre in Germany," he said, adding that some of the 15 planes may go into the airline's leasing arm "or we may even increase [the number] if there is a freighter demand because we have nearly 30 A330s".

The move would blend well with the Doha-based carrier's plans to become one of the major cargo players by 2015, according to Al Baker. ]

"We have had a plan to expand our cargo operations since 2004," he said. With more Boeing 777 freighters expected, Al Baker said, Qatar Airways' 100th aircraft will be a 777 freighter.

Efficient use

Saj Ahmad, UK-based aerospace and aviation analyst with FBE Aerospace, told Gulf News: "Qatar Airways is making efficient use of converting existing airplanes into freighters, negating the need to spend huge sums of money on new build freighters.

"By converting the existing fleet, the airline will phase out these A330s as 787s and A350s start to be inducted, yet allowing them to keep many of their older planes in their inventory to grow their non-passenger business — particularly as Qatar will need a lot of logistical investment in the run-up to the World Cup in 2022."

Elaborating on how Qatar Airways plans to integrate its cargo network with Cargolux, Al Baker said: "We will complement and supplement Cargolux. It will feed into our network from places where we fly to and they don't go to, and vice-versa."

He added: "There will be cargo code shares and also maybe operating on each other's behalf and many other ways for making it a strong relationship.

"It will make a very potent cargo airline between us and them. Capacity-wise we are bigger than Cargolux."

When asked about the airline's investment plans for Cargolux, Al Baker said: "When we become a partner then we invest with the rate we are the shareholder."