ASTRAL AVIATION MARKS MAJOR MILESTONE

Celebrating its 25th anniversary at air cargo Africa, Astral Aviation has become a cornerstone of the region’s airfreight industry. The inspiration to establish the carrier in the 2000 came from the realisation that there was a lack of freighter aircrafts in Africa which hampered the movement of humanitarian cargoes to and within Africa.

For a continent the size of Africa, there were less then a dozen freighter aircrafts flying in the continent, which resulted in most of the air cargo being outsourced to foreign carriers. Hence the reason for establishing Astral Aviation as an all-cargo airline focused on improving capacity and connectivity for air cargo within Africa from its hub in Nairobi. Its journey began as a non-scheduled carrier operating relief, humanitarian and project cargoes until 2009 and, thereafter, transformed into a scheduled carrier to date.

25 years of growth

Astral Aviation’s early fleet included the Antonov-12, which it operated on a wet-lease basis from its base in Nairobi, Kenya.

The aircraft was primarily used for humanitarian aid and relief missions, including air drops in South Sudan. Known for its dependable and safe operations, Astral quickly gained a strong reputation, attracting commercial clients like Panalpina East Africa. This partnership involved transporting mining equipment from Nairobi to Mwanza and, on the return leg, carrying Nile Perch fish fillets to Europe via Martinair Cargo, saving up to four days compared to road transport.

Astral Aviation’s collaboration with Martinair Cargo also paved the way for a key relationship with Kencargo Airlines International (a joint venture between Kenya Airways and KLM-Martinair), which relied on Astral Aviation for a weekly scheduled service on the Nairobi–Lusaka–Lilongwe–Nairobi route. In 2008, Astral Aviation was granted Flag Carrier status, marking a significant milestone for the airline. This recognition allowed the company to begin scheduled flights using the DC9F, while retiring the Antonov-12s to focus on offering more reliable and efficient cargo services across Africa and internationally.

The fleet later expanded to include the B727F and Fokker 27. Since then, Astral Aviation has steadily expanded, driven by a strong focus on operational excellence, tailored customer solutions, and a resilient approach to overcoming the distinctive challenges of the African aviation industry. In 2013, the airline formed a partnership with Network Airline to operate the B747-400F, initially on a wet-lease arrangement with Atlas Air and later with Air Atlanta Icelandic.

This move made Astral Aviation the first and only African airline to operate the B747-400F, further enhancing its capabilities in the global cargo market. Amidst the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Astral Aviation expanded its fleet with the acquisition of the B767-200F from ATSG, becoming the only African carrier to operate …