Airlines

Astral Aviation announces its strategic plan for the B767F

Marking the launch of the B767 freighter in Nairobi on 22 January 2021, Astral Aviation Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Sanjeev Gadhia re-iterated that the newly-acquired freighter will complement the existing fleet by providing new opportunities in the 40-tonnes category which was previously underserved in Africa. The B767F is ideal for Astral’s intra-African network, which comprises 15 scheduled destinations while offering new opportunities to the Middle East, which is an important gateway for East Africa’s air imports and exports.

The Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Kenya, Mr James Macharia, congratulated Astral Aviation on its achievement. The freighter’s induction to the Astral fleet also marks an important milestone for the aviation industry as it recovers from the effects of the pandemic, which led to an 8% decline in cargo volumes in 2020 in Kenya. The Cabinet Secretary re-affirmed the commitment of his government to invest optimally in the country’s transport system and to maintain Kenya’s position as the transport hub of the region by outlining plans to modernize and expand aviation facilities.

The Acting Managing Director of the Kenya Airports Authority, Mr Alex Gitari complemented Astral Aviation’s stature as the fastest growing cargo airline in the region and reaffirmed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)’s regional cargo hub position. JKIA in Nairobi, Kenya has a capacity of 1.2 million tonnes which includes 9,000m² of cold room facilities. It is the leading cargo hub in Africa. Therefore, in addition to reaffirming this strategic positioning, Astral Aviation’s acquisition of the B767-200F is timely in that it enhances JKIA’s cargo capacity and ability to handle transhipments of Covid-19 vaccines whose rollout is expected soon.

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