Astral opens cargo route from China to Kenya
Astral Aviation has integrated China into its network, opening a new route from Guangzhou to Nairobi and continuing to connect to Maputo, Mozambique.
Astral stated that the Hong Kong charter service company is the initiating customer for the new route, which will be serviced by 767 cargo planes.
Astral CEO Sanjeev Gadhia told Air Cargo News, "Initially, we will operate one flight per week, but from mid October to mid January, it will increase to three flights per week,
and then decrease to two flights per week
The airline, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, explained that Guangzhou in southern China is an important gateway for Chinese goods ranging from electronic products to e-commerce,
and added that the new service aims to meet the growing demand of importers and exporters.
Astral CEO Sanjeev Gadhia said at the press conference, "We are pleased to expand our business in China through this new service departing from Guangzhou.
This route enhances connectivity between Asia and Africa,
meets the growing demand for reliable cargo transportation, promotes the flow of essential goods, and contributes to economic growth in both regions.
We would like to express our gratitude to our initiating clients, Hong Kong charter flight service company, Guangdong Airport Authority Limited, and our GSA IGS Air
This new route is part of Astral Aviation's broader expansion strategy. The company plans to launch more routes in the near future to further narrow the gap between major markets in Asia and Africa.
In March of this year, Etihad Cargo established a partnership with Astral Aviation, which operates weekly flights from Abu Dhabi to its headquarters in Nairobi,
allowing cargo to travel to and from other locations in the airline's African network.
Astral has hubs in Nairobi, Dubai, Johannesburg, and Li è ge.
The airline has also ordered two 767Fs, which are expected to be delivered this year. In addition, in June, Astral announced that it had leased its first Boeing 737-400 freighter from Canadian leasing company Avmax Group.
After reaching an agreement with Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) in 2022, Astral also plans to add two Embraer E190Fs next year.