The flight between Cairns, Australia; Brisbane, Australia and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea will be operated by a Boeing 737-300F, offering 15 tonnes of cargo capacity each way.
Qantas Freight executive manager Lisa Brock said the export market between Australia and Papua New Guinea is strong and the new freighter service would provide much needed capacity on the route.
“This is a popular freight route with increasing volumes of freight in both directions, particularly for seafood, general cargo, mining equipment and machinery,” Brock said. “Our new service provides greater flexibility for our customers, and the B737-300 aircraft allows us to carry oversize freight on the main deck.”
The B737-300F will come from Qantas Freight’s existing fleet with additional flying time made possible through scheduling. The freighter service will operate each Saturday.
In May, Qantas introduced a policy banning the carriage of shark fins, according to an announcement distributed Sunday by Qantas.
“Qantas does not carry any shark fin on its flights. This restriction has been put in place to avoid participation in the supply chain of shark fins that have been sourced through the unacceptable process of finning,” Brock said. “Qantas Freight still carries processed shark products, including chilled or frozen meats and oils, which have appropriate export permits in place.”
Other airlines have also recently stopped carrying shark fins.