Qatar Airways has announced its commitment as the official airline partner of United for Wildlife (UfW), an initiative working to tackle the illegal wildlife trade and protect endangered species.

In a statement, the airline said this partnership underscores Qatar Airways' "unwavering commitment" to wildlife conservation.

Qatar Airways and United for Wildlife will pursue campaigns around their shared mission to fight the illegal wildlife trade and advance the work of the United for Wildlife Regional Chapters.

"The illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade threatens our global biodiversity and poses a risk to health and safety, particularly in marginalised communities. We are taking measures to disrupt this illicit trade in order to conserve biodiversity and safeguard our delicate ecosystems. As the Official Airline Partner, we believe that this ground-breaking partnership with United for Wildlife demonstrates our commitment to the Buckingham Palace Declaration and represents another important step in our commitment to protecting wildlife," said Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, chief executive at Qatar Airways Group.

"We remain committed to collaborating with our stakeholders to raise awareness of the impact on the illegal animal trade, working tirelessly to deliver Qatar Airways Cargo – WeQare Rewild the Planet initiative to protect our planet’s most vulnerable species," he added.

Qatar Airways Cargo launched its WeQare chapter: Rewild the Planet corporate sustainability initiative in 2020.

As a part of the initiative, Qatar Airways Cargo encourages the preservation of ecological balance by providing free transportation services to organisations involved in returning wild animals to their natural habitat.

One of the notable milestones of this initiative was the successful transportation of seven lions from Ukraine in 2021. This operation demonstrated Qatar Airways' dedication to supporting the efforts of NGOs and conservation organisations in their vital work to rewild the planet.

Qatar Airways is the official airline to be certified to the industry standard for the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking in aviation.

It said that the certification confirms that an airline has procedures, staff training and reporting protocols that help with better detection of illegal wildlife products.

"Qatar Airways Group maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards the transportation of illegal wildlife and products and has implemented employees to undertake the legal Wildlife Trade Awareness training," the airline said.