Qatar Airways Cargo has taken delivery of its first Boeing 747-400 Freighter with nose-loading capabilities, as well as its seventh Airbus A330-200 Freighter.

“We are delighted to welcome the seventh Airbus A330F and our first Boeing 747F nose-loader to our growing fleet,” said Ulrich Ogiermann, chief officer of cargo at Qatar Airways. “The arrival of this new aircraft brings our total fleet up to 16 freighters and in an important addition to the airline at a time when we are experiencing unprecedented growth. Increasing our capacity in tandem with increasing our network reach is an essential part of our strategy for the coming years and we expect to have a total of 21 freighters in our fleet by 2017.”

The 747-400F is equipped with a swinging nose door which allows for large cargo, pallets or containers to be loaded onto the main deck’s motor-driven rollers. It also has seating for up to eight cargo attendants or grooms for horses, and an automatic temperature control system which can maintain temperatures between 4°C and 29°C.

According to Qatar Airways, this 747 is ideal for the requirements of express cargo and industrial freight operators. The aircraft is powered by four Pratt & Whitney engines and has a range of 4,100 nautical miles with a full load.

Qatar Airways Cargo received a 747-400BCF in August 2015, but that aircraft only had a side cargo door because it was converted from a passenger configuration, and so will be replaced by the recently delivered frame.

The seventh A330-200F, which has a capacity of 68 tonnes and a range of 4,000 nautical miles, will supplement the carrier’s operations on routes to Bahrain, Brussels, Chennai, Hyderabad, London Stansted and Mumbai.

QR Cargo is due to receive its eighth A330-200F in March 2016.