Qatar Airways Cargo is strengthening global trade connections by expanding its capacity to and from Australia through its new Virgin Australia partnership.  

The air freight carrier currently offers more than 240 tonnes of belly cargo capacity each way each week into Australia to key cities Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

But with the addition of these Virgin Australia flights, total cargo capacity will increase to more than 400 tonnes each way, each week.

"Starting June 2025, Virgin Australia will operate daily Boeing 777 flights between Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Doha. With 129 tonnes of cargo capacity each way between Doha and Perth, 30 tonnes each way for Brisbane and 21 tonnes each way for Sydney, these widebody belly-hold services will bring substantial uplift potential" Qatar Airways Cargo said.

Effective December 2025, Virgin Australia will add daily Boeing 777 flights from Melbourne with Qatar Airways. 

Mark Drusch, chief officer cargo at Qatar Airways Cargo noted how Australia plays a pivotal role in global trade, and how it is necessary to empower its exporters with global connectivity.

"Our proven expertise in safeguarding sensitive shipments such as perishables and pharmaceuticals positions us as the trusted partner for Australia's trade ambitions. This partnership with Virgin Australia significantly increases capacity available to Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne — a major improvement in global cargo capacity for exporters," Drusch said.

"With these new services, we are responding decisively to long-standing market demands," he added.

Drusch went on to note that the addition of Virgin Australia's Boeing 777s more than doubles the airfreight capacity on key routes. "It is a bold move, reinforcing Qatar Airways Cargo's leadership in connecting Australia’s economy to the world’s most dynamic markets," he added.

Dimitris Politis, head of cargo at Virgin Australia, also noted advantages of combining the carrier's domestic network with Qatar Airways Cargo's global reach 

"This collaboration delivers significant new capacity for Australian exporters and strengthens our ability to connect Australian businesses with international markets," he said.

Qatar-Australia trade

With two-way trade between Qatar and Australia surpassing AUD 3.4 billion (approximately US$2.16 billion) annually, Qatar ranks among Australia's top trading partners in the Middle East and North Africa region. 

Qatar Airways Cargo noted that today, one in every 14 air cargo shipments from Australia is entrusted to Qatar Airways Cargo, passing through its cutting-edge Doha hub en-route to the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.