The certificate was issued following six months of audits and applies to its Doha headquarters and the QAS Cargo Doha hub, covering all animals that the airline is authorised to carry.
Around 9% of all live animals transported globally by air travel with Qatar Airways, and the airline has a 4,200 square metre air-conditioned Live Animal Centre at Hamad International Airport with dedicated holding areas for animals, horse stalls, pet kennels, access to 24/7 dedicated expert animal health care services, and a 300 square metre paddock.
Miguel Rodriguez Moreno, Senior Manager Cargo Climate Control Products at Qatar Airways says: “Whether they are horses, household pets, livestock, or exotic animals transported on our scheduled and charter flights or wild animals being flown under our WeQare Rewild the Planet initiative, we go beyond the required regulatory standards, to ensure that the animals are given the utmost care and comfort for the entire duration of the journey.”
As the first airline in the Middle East and the fourth globally to be certified, Rodriguez says certification illustrates the airline’s commitment to improve industry standards.
Brendan Sullivan, Global Head of Cargo at IATA says: “Having Qatar Airways, one of the largest transporters of live animals, achieve CEIV Live Animals certification is a significant boost not only for the airline’s customers, who can be confident that their precious cargo will arrive safely, but also the region.”