Qatar Airways joins the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce to help stop the trafficking of wildlife
Airline increases its commitment to wildlife protection as a signatory to the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce
DOHA, Qatar, 2017-Oct-20 — /Travel PR News/ — Qatar Airways has joined a select group of private sector, non-government organisations and government agencies in a concerted response to combat wildlife crime across transportation networks.
As a partner in the USAID Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) Partnership, Qatar Airways has increased its commitment as a signatory to the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Buckingham Palace Declaration to protect endangered species from illegal trade and transportation. Alongside ROUTES, Qatar Airways will help raise awareness and build capacity with Qatar Airways staff and strengthen solutions to help stop the trafficking of wildlife.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We have a prominent position in establishing industry solutions to global threats, such as the illegal transportation of endangered wildlife. Qatar Airways is proud to stand with other aviation industry leaders to state that we have zero tolerance for this criminal activity. As a result, we have devoted resources to raise awareness to not only eliminate wildlife trafficking, but to protect these creatures that we value.”
ROUTES Partnership Chair, Ms. Michelle Owen, said: “We are thrilled that Qatar Airways is joining ROUTES and taking an increased leadership role against wildlife trafficking within the aviation sector. ROUTES is a transformational partnership that is strengthened by the knowledge and motivation that members like Qatar Airways contribute.”
ROUTES and Qatar Airways signed a Partnership Memorandum of Understanding in May 2017, officially making Qatar Airways the newest member of the ROUTES Partnership.
Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s third largest international cargo carrier, implements rigorous procedures in its requirements of consignors, in an enhanced effort to prevent and detect misconsignment, one of the chief ways this illegal trade is carried out.
The illegal trade of wildlife is the fourth largest black market in the world — worth approximately $20 billion annually — and impacts more than 7,000 species of animals and plants. Criminal organisations involved in wildlife trafficking are often directly connected to other trafficking networks, including the smuggling of narcotics, arms and people. Wildlife traffickers regularly exploit the increasing connectivity of global transportation, threatening human health and security, creating risk throughout industry supply chains and pushing animal species into extinction.
Aware of the scale of this problem, Qatar Airways has developed a global collaborative network including government authorities, international regulators and sector experts such as the ROUTES Partnership. It also maintains highly cooperative relationships with other international carriers, freight forwarders and customs agents, to ensure transparency and effective information exchange and to increase deterrence and detection of this criminal activity.
The ROUTES Partnership supports the transport sector by providing targeted data analytics, empowering personnel with the necessary tools and information to be a part of the solution, raising awareness among clients and staff and ultimately embedding solutions within existing company policies that help stop the trafficking of wildlife.
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Notes to Editors:
About Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is celebrating 20 years of Going Places Together with travellers across its more than 150 business and leisure destinations. The world’s fastest growing airline will add a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network in 2017/18, including Dublin, Nice, Skopje, Sarajevo and many more, flying passengers on board its modern fleet of 200 aircraft.
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was recently named Airline of the Year by the 2017 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named World’s Best Business Class, Best Airline in the Middle East, and World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.
Qatar Airways is a member of the oneworld global alliance. The award-winning alliance was named the World’s Best Airline Alliance 2015 by Skytrax for the third year running. Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance, oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 150 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.
Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.
Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves. Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA 2018 and 2022 World Cups, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s own brand message – Going Places Together.
Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s third largest international cargo carrier, serves 60 exclusive freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations globally with 203 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes eight Airbus A330 freighters and 12 Boeing 777 freighters.
For further information, please contact:
Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 4022 2200
qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
SOURCE: Qatar Airways