Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Airways, and Astral Aviation, a leading cargo airline in Africa, have celebrated the inaugural flight from Nairobi in Kenya to Abu Dhabi in the UAE, marking the commencements of their collaboration to expand Etihad Cargo’s reach into the African market
The MOU was signed with the understanding that Astral Aviation will operate more flights to the UAE’s capital, supported by Etihad Cargo. The partners have committed to leveraging their combined networks, expertise and logistics capabilities to enhance cargo services between the UAE and Africa.
The success of the flight has been seen as a demonstration of the two company’s potential to enhance cargo capacity and offer efficient logistics solutions, particularly for time-sensitive shipments such as perishable goods. Following its success, Astral Aviation will begin weekly operations from Abu Dhabi starting from 28 March in a regular service that is expected to strengthen trade links between the UAE and Africa. In addition to the weekly flights, Etihad Cargo will provide additional belly capacity to partners and customers via daily passenger flights to Nairobi from 1 May.
“The successful inaugural flight from Nairobi to Abu Dhabi is just the beginning of Etihad Cargo's ambitious journey with Astral Aviation,” remarked Stanislas Brun, vice president cargo of Etihad Cargo. “Together, Etihad Cargo and Astral Aviation will offer air cargo solutions that cater to the dynamic needs of partners and customers, especially in the fast-growing African market."
Sanjeev Gadhia, CEO of Astral Aviation, added "The partnership between Etihad Cargo and Astral Aviation marks a significant milestone in trade between Africa and Abu Dhabi, as the new flight will enable the efficient transportation of perishables including flowers, fresh fruits, vegetables and meat from Astral's hubs in Nairobi and Johannesburg into Etihad's Abu Dhabi hub and onto their network. On the return, the freighter will carry cargo from Etihad Cargo's network in Asia, the USA, and Europe into Astral's Intra African network, which will result in new opportunities for our respective clients."
