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Qatar Airways, IAG and Malaysia Airlines propose joint cargo venture

Partners say combined air cargo infrastructure gives customers more flexibility

Eric Kulisch
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A Qatar Airways jetliner is parked next to British Airways at Heathrow Airport. The cargo businesses of Qatar Airways and British Airways will be joined with Malaysia Airlines under a proposed partnership that includes British Airways’ parent company, IAG Group. (Photo: Shutterstock/Fasttailwind)
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Key Takeaways:

  • Qatar Airways, IAG Group (British Airways' parent company), and Malaysia Airlines announced a joint air cargo venture to expand their collective route offerings and capabilities.
  • This new alliance aims to enhance connectivity, speed up transit times, and offer more routing options for customers, while also working on harmonized safety and security standards.
  • The partnership is subject to regulatory approvals (EU, US, UK) and is expected to launch late this year.
  • The venture comes amidst slowing air cargo demand and shifting supply chains due to US-China trade tensions.
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(UPDATED: June 1, 2025 10:25 a.m. ET)

Qatar Airways, British Airways’ parent company IAG Group and Malaysia Airlines on Tuesday announced plans for a joint air cargo venture to increase their collective route offerings and capabilities.

The alliance appears to resemble a long-running one among All Nippon Airways, Lufthansa and United Airlines, but details on how the new venture will function are still very limited. ANA in October 2023 temporarily suspended its participation in the cargo partnership with Lufthansa and United so as not to restrict information sharing as it seeks approval from Japanese authorities for the acquisition of Nippon Cargo Airlines. 

There are few other examples of successful full cargo partnerships that go beyond interline agreements. Delta Air Lines and Latam Cargo are operationally integrated, but the partnership is a function of a larger joint venture between Delta Air Lines and Latam Airlines that covers the passenger business too. Both airlines are also part of the SkyTeam Cargo Alliance.

The trilateral cargo partnership proposed by Qatar Airways, the world’s largest air cargo carrier by traffic, IAG and Malaysia Airlines is subject to regulatory approval, which is likely to include the European Union, United States and United Kingdom. The carriers on June 2 said they expect to implement the partnership late this year.

The airlines said a joint product offering will provide enhanced connectivity, faster transit times and new routing opportunities, giving customers much greater shipping choice. In parallel, the respective cargo divisions are jointly working to develop harmonized safety and security standards for their customers.

The partnership effort comes as air cargo demand slows and shippers are considering how to shift supply chains to other countries as the United States moves to disrupt trade with China by applying severe tariffs on Chinese imports.

“By leveraging our combined strengths and expertise, we will provide enhanced service offerings, expanded global reach, and cutting-edge solutions that address the evolving needs of the global market, ensuring greater efficiency and connectivity for our partners and customers,” said Mark Jason Thomas, chief executive officer at MASkargo, Malaysia Airlines’ cargo unit, in a news release.

Qatar Airways Cargo operates a fleet of 28 Boeing 777 freighter aircraft to more than 60 destinations and also manages cargo carried on 230 passenger aircraft around the world.

IAG Cargo is the umbrella cargo organization for British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and Level.

MASkargo has a fleet of three Airbus A330-200 cargo jets and responsibility for belly capacity on passenger aircraft.

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.

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Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Parcel and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He was runner up for News Journalist and Supply Chain Journalist of the Year in the Seahorse Freight Association's 2024 journalism award competition. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist. He won the group's Environmental Journalist of the Year award in 2014 and was the 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. He has appeared on Marketplace, ABC News and National Public Radio to talk about logistics issues in the news. Eric is based in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com