Astral Aviation
IATA ICAO Callsign
8V ACP ASTRAL CARGO
FoundedNovember 2000 (2000-11)
HubsJomo Kenyatta International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Focus citiesAl Maktoum International Airport
O.R. Tambo International Airport
Sharjah International Airport
SubsidiariesPradhaan Air Express[1]
Fleet size4
Destinations25 (excl. Charters)[2]
HeadquartersJomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya
Key peopleSanjeev S. Gadhia (CEO)[3]
WebsiteAstral Aviation

Astral Aviation is a cargo airline based in Nairobi, Kenya. It was established in November 2000 and started operations in January 2001. It operates scheduled and non-scheduled/ad-hoc cargo charters, as well as humanitarian-aid flights, to regional destinations in Africa, Asia and to Liège in Belgium as its only European destination, as of 2023.[4][5][2] Its main base is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.[6] It has one subsidiary operating in India since October 2022, Pradhaan Air Express, which leased an Airbus A320P2F cargo aircraft, thus making it the world's first airline to have such an aircraft in its fleet.[1]

History

Founded in November 2000, Astral Aviation acquired its Air Operators Certificate (AoC) and Air Service License (ASL) from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority in January 2001, thus it started operations in the same year in the same month. It was designated as a cargo airline by the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Public Works in November 2006.[6][7]

Services

The airline operates through and non-stop to 25 regular destinations and 5 charter destinations used for charter operations like food, electronics and medical transport, etc.[2][4] as well as humanitarian support.

It has one subsidiary operating in India based in New Delhi, Pradhaan Air Express, since October 2022. Two more subsidiaries are planned to be launched, taking the number to three subsidiaries by 2025. Its second subsidiary will be Suid Cargo Airlines based in Johannesburg, which will operate to more than 20 destinations in Southern and Eastern Africa, is expected to be launched by September 2023.[8][9] Its third subsidiary will be an airline to be launched in 2025, based in Europe.[1]

Destinations

Astral shows the following scheduled and charter destinations in their 2023 online timetable.[10][4]

Country City Airport Notes
Belgium
Belgium		LiègeLiège Airport[5]
China
China		GuangzhouGuangzhou Baiyun International AirportCharter[4]
Djibouti
Djibouti		Djibouti CityDjibouti–Ambouli International AirportCharter[4]
Hong Kong
Hong Kong		Hong KongHong Kong International AirportHub[11]
India
India		DelhiIndira Gandhi International Airport[12]
MumbaiChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport[12]
Israel
Israel		Tel AvivBen Gurion Airport[13]
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan		AktobeAktobe International Airport
Kenya
Kenya		EldoretEldoret International Airport[14]
NairobiJomo Kenyatta International AirportHub[15]
Malawi
Malawi		LilongweKamuzu International Airport
Mozambique
Mozambique		MaputoMaputo International Airport
PembaPemba Airport
Rwanda
Rwanda		KigaliKigali International Airport
Somalia
Somalia		HargeisaHargeisa International AirportCharter[4]
MogadishuAden Adde International Airport
South Africa
South Africa		JohannesburgO. R. Tambo International AirportFocus city[16]
South Sudan
South Sudan		JubaJuba International Airport
Sudan
Sudan		KhartoumKhartoum International AirportCharter[4][17]
Tanzania
Tanzania		Dar es SalaamJulius Nyerere International Airport
MwanzaMwanza Airport
ZanzibarAbeid Amani Karume International Airport
Uganda
Uganda		KampalaEntebbe International Airport
United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates		DubaiAl Maktoum International AirportFocus city[18]
SharjahSharjah International AirportFocus city[19]
United Kingdom
United Kingdom		LondonStansted AirportTerminated
Yemen
Yemen		AdenAden International AirportCharter[4]
Zambia
Zambia		LusakaKenneth Kaunda International Airport
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe		HarareRobert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport

Fleet

Current fleet

As of July 2023, the Astral Aviation fleet consists of the following aircraft:[20][21]

Astral Aviation fleet
Aircraft In fleet Orders Notes
Boeing 757-200BDSF 2 —
Boeing 767-200BDSF 1 —
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30CF 1 —
Total 4

Former fleet

The airline previously operated the following aircraft (as of July 2023):[20][22]

Awards

The airline has won the "Africa All-Cargo Carrier of the Year" six consecutive times in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2023, and the "Best All-Cargo Airline in Africa" in February 2023, by STAT Times International Award for Excellence in Air Cargo during Air Cargo Africa 2023 event held at Johannesburg, South Africa, from 21–23 February 2023.[25]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "India's Pradhaan Air Express begins A320P2F flight ops". ch.aviation. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Trans Africa Network". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "OUR TEAM". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Charters". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  5. 1 2 "EUROPE SCHEDULE". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 27 March 2007. p. 79.
  7. ↑ "Profile". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "SUID CARGO – LAUNCH OF SOUTH AFRICA'S NEWEST CARGO AIRLINE". Astral Aviation (Press release). 1 March 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "Suid Cargo Airlines to launch by Sep-2023: Astral Aviation CEO". CAPA. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "Intra Africa Network". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  11. ↑ "EX – HONG KONG SCHEDULE". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  12. 1 2 "ASTRAL AVIATION AND SPICEXPRESS ENTER INTO A PIONEERING INTERLINE AGREEMENT FOR SEAMLESS CARGO CONNECTIONS ACROSS INDIA, AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST". Astral Aviation (Press release). 4 February 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "ASTRAL AVIATION LAUNCHES SCHEDULED FLIGHT TO TEL AVIV". Astral Aviation (Press release). 8 June 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "Astral Aviation begins Sharjah to Eldoret service". Logistics Update Africa. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  15. ↑ "EX – NAIROBI SCHEDULE". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "EX – JOHANNESBURG SCHEDULE". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "SUDAN RETURNS TO KENYA!/ BRINGING SUDAN HOME!". Astral Aviation (Press release). 19 April 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  18. ↑ "EX – DUBAI SCHEDULE". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "KENYAN CARGO AIRLINE, ASTRAL AVIATION, BEGINS FLIGHTS TO SHARJAH". Astral Aviation (Press release). 1 March 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  20. 1 2 "Astral Aviation Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  21. ↑ "Astral Aviation | Fleet". Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  22. ↑ "Astral Aviation fleet". Astral-aviation.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  23. ↑ "Kenya's Astral Aviation to phase-out B727s in 2023". Ch-Aviation. 9 November 2022.
  24. ↑ "Kenya's Astral Aviation due for two B737 freighters next month". ch-aviation.ch. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  25. ↑ "ASTRAL AVIATION WINS AWARD FOR BEST ALL-CARGO AIRLINE IN AFRICA". Astral Aviation (Press release). 23 February 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.

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