Astral Aviation (Astral) inaugurated its maiden flight from Nairobi to Tel Aviv on 5 June with a Boeing 757 freighter which will operate on the new scheduled route. The direct flight from Nairobi to Tel Aviv will reduce the transit time from 24 hours to five hours for perishable products, particularly pineapples and vegetables, which previously were being routed via other hubs such as Istanbul, Addis Ababa, and Dubai. Return flights meanwhile will enable exports from Israel to reach Africa … [Read more...] about Astral Aviation introduces freighter service to Tel Aviv
Astral Aviation
Steven Verhasselt exits Liege to help future air cargo hubs
“You know 15 years is a long time,” mused Steven Verhasselt, who not too long ago led Liege Airport to record cargo volumes not seen until the pandemic. When we did the interview, the former commercial director of LGG was in isolation at a hotel in Hong Kong. “We did great things in Liege and we are doing great things there. There was a lot in the pipeline, but business development wise, it will not be as good and spectacular anymore as it has been over the last 10 years because we did so … [Read more...] about Steven Verhasselt exits Liege to help future air cargo hubs
Unmanned cargo jet maker lists pre-orders worth US$6b
US-based Natilus has announced advanced purchase commitments of more than $6 billion for the delivery of more than 440 unmanned cargo aircraft in pre-orders. Companies that expressed interest include Volatus Aerospace, Astral Aviation, Aurora International, Dymond and most recently Flexport. Natilus, co-founded by Aleksey Matyushev and Anatoly Starikov in 2016, said the design of the family of cargo aircraft is democratizing freight transport, not by converting existing passenger aircraft … [Read more...] about Unmanned cargo jet maker lists pre-orders worth US$6b
Astral Aviation to start flying world’s first A320P2F in Q2
Astral Aviation is set to be the launch operator of ST Engineering’s A320 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) programme after the latter signed an agreement to lease up to five Airbus A320 cargo conversions to UAE-based lessor group Vaayu. Cargo airline Astral Aviation, based in Nairobi, Kenya, will be the launch operator for the first two of the five A320P2F aircraft by sub-leasing them from Vaayu. The first A320P2F, which is being converted by ST Engineering, is expected to be placed on lease … [Read more...] about Astral Aviation to start flying world’s first A320P2F in Q2
Top airlines sign up for UNICEF’s vaccine initiative
The UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative has been formed with the world’s leading airlines to secure the transport of Covid-19 vaccines and medical supplies around the globe. These chosen carriers have signing agreements with UNICEF to support the prioritisation of delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, essential medicines, medical devices and other critical supplies to respond to the pandemic. The airfreight initiative supports the COVAX Facility's efforts to ensure that countries have fair … [Read more...] about Top airlines sign up for UNICEF’s vaccine initiative
Astral Aviation drafts first B767F on Nairobi service
All-cargo carrier Astral Aviation will deploy its first B767-200F on a twice weekly service between Nairobi and Sharjah, UAE, starting 3 February. The 40-tonne freighter, on lease from ATSG subsidiary Cargo Aircraft Management, will offer ‘unrivalled capacity’ for 80 tonnes per week of flowers and vegetables to the UAE and will also be used on the Nairobi–Johannesburg route, which it currently operates on the B727-200F. “The freighter will also offer capacity on high-priority for the … [Read more...] about Astral Aviation drafts first B767F on Nairobi service
