May 1 marks the commencement of IAG Cargo’s new route between London Gatwick and Toronto and a new link between Wales and Qatar.
British Airways B777s will be utilised on the service, each giving some 18 tonnes of capacity.
Operated three times a week, the expected traffic from the UK includes pharma, machinery and agricultural equipment.
On the same day, a Qatar Airways A350 XWB will land at Cardiff International Airport after a non-stop flight from Doha inaugurating a daily service to the Welsh capital. Following the inaugural flight, the new service between Doha and Cardiff will be served by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Industry observers point out that the debut flight is something of a “welcome in the hillsides” as the principality hosts the Airbus site at Broughton, where wings for the entire family of Airbus commercial aircraft are made.
