Astral Aviation
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Founded | November 2000 | ||||||
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Hubs | Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Hong Kong International Airport | ||||||
Focus cities | Al Maktoum International Airport O.R. Tambo International Airport Sharjah International Airport | ||||||
Subsidiaries | Pradhaan Air Express[1] | ||||||
Fleet size | 4 | ||||||
Destinations | 25 (excl. Charters)[2] | ||||||
Headquarters | Jomo Kenyatta International Airport,Nairobi,Kenya | ||||||
Key people | Sanjeev S. Gadhia (CEO)[3] | ||||||
Website | Astral Aviation |
Astral Aviationis acargo airlinebased inNairobi,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 inAfrica,Asiaand toLiègeinBelgiumas its onlyEuropeandestination, as of 2023.[4][5][2]Its main base isJomo Kenyatta International Airport,Nairobi.[6]It has one subsidiary operating inIndiasince October 2022,Pradhaan Air Express,which leased anAirbus A320P2Fcargo aircraft, thus making it the world's first airline to have such an aircraft in its fleet.[1]
History[edit]
Founded in November 2000, Astral Aviation acquired itsAir Operators Certificate(AoC) and Air Service License (ASL) from theKenya Civil Aviation Authorityin January 2001, thus it started operations in the same year in the same month. It was designated as a cargo airline by theMinistry of Roads, Transport and Public Worksin November 2006.[6][7]
Services[edit]
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.[citation needed]
It has one subsidiary operating inIndiabased inNew 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 beSuid Cargo Airlinesbased inJohannesburg,which will operate to more than 20 destinations inSouthernandEastern Africa,is expected to be launched by September 2023.[8][9]Its third subsidiary will be an airline to be launched in 2025, based inEurope.[1]
Destinations[edit]
Astral shows the following scheduled and charter destinations in their 2023 online timetable.[10][4]
Fleet[edit]
Current fleet[edit]
As of April 2024[update],the Astral Aviation fleet consists of the following aircraft:[20][21]
Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Boeing 767-200BDSF | 1 | — | |
Embraer 190F | — | 2 | Deliveries expected by 2025.[22] |
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30CF | 1 | — | |
Total | 2 | 2 |
Former fleet[edit]
The airline previously operated the following aircraft (as of July 2023):[20][23]
- 1Boeing 727-200F[24]
- 2Boeing 737-400F[25]
- 2Boeing 747-400F,leased fromAtlas Air
- 1Fokker 27-500F,leased from AeroSpace Consortium
- 1Fokker 27F
- 1McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30CF
Awards[edit]
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 atJohannesburg,South Africa,from 21–23 February 2023.[26]
See also[edit]
- List of airlines of Kenya
- 2023 Sudan conflict
- List of conflicts in Somalia
- Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)
- COVID-19 vaccine
- United Nations Humanitarian Air Service
References[edit]
- ^abc"India's Pradhaan Air Express begins A320P2F flight ops".ch.aviation.10 October 2022.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^abc"Trans Africa Network".Astral Aviation.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^"OUR TEAM".Astral Aviation.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^abcdefgh"Charters".Astral Aviation.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^ab"EUROPE SCHEDULE".Astral Aviation.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^ab"Directory: World Airlines".Flight International.27 March 2007. p. 79.
- ^"Profile".Astral Aviation.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^"SUID CARGO – LAUNCH OF SOUTH AFRICA'S NEWEST CARGO AIRLINE".Astral Aviation(Press release). 1 March 2023.Retrieved3 August2023.
- ^"Suid Cargo Airlines to launch by Sep-2023: Astral Aviation CEO".CAPA.27 July 2023.Retrieved3 August2023.
- ^"Intra Africa Network".Astral Aviation.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^"EX – HONG KONG SCHEDULE".Astral Aviation.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^ab"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.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^"ASTRAL AVIATION LAUNCHES SCHEDULED FLIGHT TO TEL AVIV".Astral Aviation(Press release). 8 June 2023.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^"Astral Aviation begins Sharjah to Eldoret service".Logistics Update Africa.17 March 2021.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^"EX – NAIROBI SCHEDULE".Astral Aviation.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^"EX – JOHANNESBURG SCHEDULE".Astral Aviation.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^"SUDAN RETURNS TO KENYA!/ BRINGING SUDAN HOME!".Astral Aviation(Press release). 19 April 2023.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^"EX – DUBAI SCHEDULE".Astral Aviation.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^"KENYAN CARGO AIRLINE, ASTRAL AVIATION, BEGINS FLIGHTS TO SHARJAH".Astral Aviation(Press release). 1 March 2021.Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^ab"Astral Aviation Fleet Details and History".Planespotters.net.4 April 2024.Retrieved26 April2024.
- ^"Astral Aviation Fleet".Retrieved2 August2023.
- ^Hemmerdinger, Jon (20 October 2022)."Lessor Nordic firms order with Embraer for E-Jet cargo conversions".Flight Global.Retrieved26 April2024.
- ^"Astral Aviation fleet".Astral-aviation.com.Retrieved10 March2015.
- ^"Kenya's Astral Aviation to phase-out B727s in 2023".Ch-Aviation.9 November 2022.
- ^"Kenya's Astral Aviation due for two B737 freighters next month".ch-aviation.ch.10 March 2015.Retrieved10 March2015.
- ^"ASTRAL AVIATION WINS AWARD FOR BEST ALL-CARGO AIRLINE IN AFRICA".Astral Aviation(Press release). 23 February 2023.Retrieved2 August2023.
External links[edit]
Media related toAstral Aviationat Wikimedia Commons