 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | November 2000; 24 years ago (2000-11) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Aviation is acargo airline based 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,Asia and toLiège inBelgium as its only European destination, as of 2023.[4][5][2] Its main base isJomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.[6] It has one subsidiary operating in India since October 2022, Pradhaan Air Express, which leased anAirbus A320P2F cargo aircraft, thus making it the world's first airline to have such an aircraft in its fleet.[1]
Founded in November 2000, Astral Aviation acquired itsAir Operators Certificate (AoC) and Air Service License (ASL) from theKenya 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 theMinistry of Roads, Transport and Public Works in November 2006.[6][7]
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 in India based 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 Airlines based inJohannesburg, which will operate to more than 20 destinations inSouthern andEastern 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]
Astral shows the following scheduled and charter destinations in their 2023 online timetable.[10][4]
As of April 2024[update], the Astral Aviation fleet consists of the following aircraft:[citation needed]
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 767-200BDSF | 1 | — | |
| Embraer 190F | — | 2 | Deliveries expected by 2025.[20] |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30CF | 1 | — | |
| Total | 2 | 2 |
The airline previously operated the following aircraft (as of July 2023):
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 to 23 February 2023.[23]
Media related toAstral Aviation at Wikimedia Commons
