DOHA: Qatar Airways (QA) has signed the United for Wildlife Transport Industry Declaration at Buckingham Palace in the presence of the Duke of Cambridge and the Rt. Hon. the Lord Hague of Richmond.
Ulrich Ogiermann, Chief Officer, Cargo, QA, signed the declaration, which focuses on the illegal trade in African elephants, rhinos, some big cats, and pangolins that originates from and transits through East Africa.
“We are proud to be part of this initiative that recognises the need to protect endangered species from illegal trade and transportation,” said Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive, QA Group. “It is important that we work together as an industry to prevent violations of the regulations in place to safeguard these animals and adopt a zero tolerance policy regarding illegal wildlife trade. “As one of the world’s leading airlines serving customers across six continents, we acknowledge our responsibility to society, the community and the environment; therefore we have a strict policy governing the types of animals and animal products banned from carriage on board QA.”
The declaration, supported by International Air Transport Association, commits the participating airlines to increase passenger, customer, client and staff awareness about the nature, scale and consequences of illegal wildlife trade.
It will develop mechanisms to enable the transport sector to receive and share timely information about the transport of suspected illegal wildlife and their products, including methods of transportation, key routes, ports and other locations.
QA was one of a small group of aviation industry leaders invited to attend the ceremony in London. As an inaugural signature to the declaration, QA acknowledges the scale and complexity of the challenge of illegal wildlife transportation and hopes its leadership encourages other airlines to work together to conserve the world’s natural heritage for generations to come.
QA Cargo, the world’s third biggest international cargo carrier, adheres to industry recommendations and best-practice for the transportation of live animals through its state-of-the-art hub in Doha. The innovative airline offers transport and provides dedicated handling facilities for horses, domestic pets, livestock, tropical fish and small mammals.
The Peninsula
