FLEET - Astral Aviation Targets five Boeing 777-300ER Freighters by 2031

kenyan cargo carrier astral aviation expects to begin operating converted boeing 777-300er freighters in 2027 and aims to introduce up to five of the large twin-engine aircraft over the next five years, its founder and chief executive said on april 29, 2026 during a presentation at the cargo facts emea conference.

Newsaero / Photo: Astral

ROUTES - Astral postpones European AOC plans

Kenyan freighter operator Astral Aviation has postponed plans to acquire an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) for Europe to focus more on its operations in Africa and Asia.

The airline’s founder and chief executive Sanjeev Gadhia previously told Air Cargo News (ACN) that Astral was considering the possibility of setting up an AOC in Europe - possibly in Malta because it offered the "best value proposition to foreign airlines" for this purpose.

But in a recent interview with ACN, Gadhia said: "At the moment we have postponed our plans for having a European AOC. We feel that we may need to focus more on China and Africa.

"Setting up a new AOC is very tough, the compliance and regulatory challenges and hurdles can be very exhausting.

"And I know that quite a lot of the airlines of Europe have set up bases in Malta and it can take a long time. So we just feel that we missed the boat.

"When we are ready, we will actually be in a position to decide on that, but it's no longer a priority for us."

Gadhia also said last year that Astral had shifted its focus for future growth away from Europe in favour of Asia as it had seen a decline in airfreight volumes from Europe to Africa due to the strong euro.

However, Astral, which has hubs in Nairobi, Dubai, Johannesburg and Liege, currently operates flights to Liege (LGG) in Belgium and Doncaster Sheffield (DSA) in the UK.

Last month, Astral selected Network Aviation Group as its GSA for Europe and the US, while in January the airline entered into a Global Sales Partnership Agreement with Euro Cargo Aviation in Europe, the US & UAE.

Gadhia also confirmed that the airline has made changes to its fleet and has removed its 757Fs, 727-200Fs and DC9Fs.

The airline currently has a Boeing 767-200F, a Boeing 767-300F and a Boeing 737-400F. It now plans to add a Boeing 737-800F and two Boeing 777 passenger to freighter (P2F) aircraft, but is waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the conversion.

Astral has also postponed its order for two Embraer E190Fs because the airline is "not ready", said Gadhia.
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Photo: Astral Aviation

FLEET - Kenya's Astral Aviation to add first B767-300F in 1Q2

The European Union has reimposed sanctions on Syria's Cham Wings Airlines (SAW, Damascus) for its alleged support for the regime of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad. The privately-owned carrier was previously designated by the bloc between December 2021 and July 2022 for its alleged role in a migrant-smuggling scheme orchestrated by various governments hostile to the EU.

"Cham Wings uses its flights to engage in the transfer of Syrian mercenaries, arms trade, narcotics trafficking, and money laundering, which supports the activities of the Syrian regime. As the only private airline in Syria, Cham Wings is therefore benefiting from, and providing support to the Syrian regime," the EU said in its January 24, 2024, sanctions list update.

While the carrier was sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control in 2016 for its ties to the Syrian government, the EU adopted a markedly softer approach only sanctioning it in December 2021, after it operated a number of charter flights to Minsk National, allegedly carrying migrants who were then transported by the Belarussian regime to the Lithuanian and Polish frontiers thus orchestrating a humanitarian crisis.

Cham Wings denied knowingly participating in any such scheme and maintained its flights were purely commercial, adding that it had no power over who its passengers were. The airline was removed from the EU sanctions list in mid-2022 and even hoped to obtain an EU Third Country Operator (TCO) permit to launch scheduled flights to the bloc.

The Syrian airline remains under US and Ukrainian sanctions but is not designated by the United Kingdom.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows Cham Wings Airlines operating three A320-200s. It recently took delivery of a fourth, YK-BAA (msn 2434), transferred at Minsk airport from UAE-based start-up Queens Air. The opaque firm added the aircraft in November 27, 2023, registering it in Kyrgyzstan as EX-32012. It was ferried from Minsk to Damascus on February 7, 2024, ADS-B data shows. The flight, operated under Cham Wings' 'SAW' code, was routed via Russia and bypassing Turkish airspace.

Cham Wings Airlines did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment. It serves various destinations across the Middle East, Libya, and Iran.

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Photo: Astral

 

Astral Aviation signs for A320P2Fs

With the Singapore Air Show set to begin on 15 February, some news is already coming out. First of which, is the news that Kenyan cargo-carrier Astral Aviation has signed an agreement with lessor Vaayu Group for two A320P2Fs, making the airline the first operator of the type once certified. Both are scheduled to be delivered this year.

The A320P2F took to the skies for the very first time on 8 December 2021 at Singapore-Seletar and EFW hopes to have the certification finalized later this year. In total, Vaayu Group has agreed to take five A320P2Fs as the type's first customer, two of which have now found a home.

Photo by EFW.

Astral Aviation secures B757 freighters

 

Astral Aviation (8V, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) has signed operating leases with US-based Aquila Air Capital for three B757-200(PCF)s, with delivery expected this month upon completion of their scheduled maintenance.

Astral Aviation Chief Executive Officer Sanjeev Gadhia told ch-aviation the freighters are three of the following four aircraft – N605DL (msn 22812), N620DL (msn 22910), N557CM (msn 23687), and N531UA (msn 25042) - that previously flew with ATI - Air Transport International (8C, Wilmington, OH) on behalf of DHL Express. “They were built in 1984, 1986, 1986, and 1991, respectively, and all have Pratt & Whitney PW2000 engines,” he elaborated.

Gadhia said the aircraft would take over scheduled cargo services with increased frequencies between Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta and Johannesburg O.R. Tambo and Nairobi and Dubai World Central, in addition to new scheduled routes to and within Africa and the Middle East in 2022. They would also operate point-to-point for the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines from India and the United Arab Emirates to Africa, in addition to e-commerce shipments to new markets.

"The B757-200PCFs will complement the Astral Aviation fleet with new and efficient options to and within its existing scheduled and charter freighter network, which comprises of over 50 destinations in Africa, Middle East, and Southeast Asia," commented Astral's Commercial Director in the UAE, Satvir Kalsi.

“With this agreement, Astral Aviation will become the largest B757F operator in Africa and the Middle East, in addition to being the only B767F operator in the region," added Chief Operating Officer Michael Mutahi. He said the mid-range narrow-body freighter was well-suited to the African, Middle East & South East Asia region due to its fuel efficiency, 30-tonne payload, and five-hour range.

Astral Aviation has an all-cargo fleet of freighters that operate from its multiple hubs in Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa), Dubai (UAE), and Liège (Belgium), to more than 50 destinations to and within Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, using a combination of scheduled and charter flights.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Astral Aviation operates two B727-200(F)s; one B747-400(BDSF) and one B747-400(FSCD) both wet-leased from Air Atlanta Icelandic (CC, Reykjavik Keflavik); one owned B767-200(SF), one DC-9-30(CF), and one Fokker 27 freighter.

The company said it has been operating cargo flights for PPE, ventilators, and test kits to 42 countries in Africa during the pandemic and was active in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to and within Africa.

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Astral Aviation opens Sharjah cargo base

Astral Aviation (8V, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) has established its first Middle Eastern base at Sharjah, in

the United Arab Emirates, as part of an expansion of its operations within the region.

Headquartered at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta, the Kenyan cargo specialist, on February 3, began serving

Sharjah with two weekly services, using its B767-200(SF), offering capacity for 80 tonnes per week of

flowers and vegetables to the UAE, while using the return leg for the distribution of COVID vaccines to

and within Africa, according to a statement on the company website.

Astral Aviation is operating the freighter under a five-year lease from Air Transport Services Group. It

is the first aircraft ATSG has leased to Astral, as well as the first B767 that Astral has put into service.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Sanjeev Gadhia, said: “We will provide a scheduled service for

perishables from East Africa to Sharjah for the UAE region, while on the return, Astral’s consolidations

from China, and the UAE will be moved from Sharjah to Nairobi for onward connection to Astral’s intra-

African network.”

Sharjah Airport Authority Chairman Ali Salim Al Midfa said the airport would facilitate Astral Aviation

flying Covid-19 vaccines from China to the African continent. The storage and handling unit of

medicinal products at the cargo centre in Sharjah provided continuous temperature control and

monitoring of thermal changes, he added.

Astral also planned to deploy the B767 on its Nairobi – Johannesburg O.R. Tambo route replacing the

B727-200(F), thus increasing the total capacity to 160 tonnes per week to South Africa, the company

said. The B727-200F also currently serves Djibouti, Maputo, and Zanzibar, according to the chaviation

schedules module.

It also shows that Astral has a fleet of six aircraft, including the B767 freighter, two B727-200Fs, one

B747-400(BDSF) and one B747-400(FSCD) both wet-leased from Air Atlanta Icelandic (CC, Reykjavik

Keflavik), one DC-9-30(CF), as well as BAe ATP(F)s and, Fokker 50 and Fokker 27 freighters. The

carrier has a second base in Liège, Belgium, with Sharjah being its third.

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ASTRAL AVIATION - Boeing 747-48EF - MSN 27603 - TF-AMU

Steven Picalausa

Kenya's Astral Aviation switches B747 freighter provider

Astral Aviation (8V, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) has secured a B747-400(F) on wet-lease from Air Atlanta Icelandic (CC, Reykjavik Keflavik).

ch-aviation analysis of Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows TF-AMU (msn 27603) was positioned to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta on Wednesday, November 8, for use in running 2x weekly Nairobi-London Stansted cargo flights. Operated through Network Airline Management, it replaces a B747-400(F) that had been contracted from previous partner, Atlas Air (5Y, New York JFK).

Astral Air also operates one B727-200(F), two DC-9-30(F)s, and a Fokker 27(F) on scheduled cargo flights spanning East Africa.

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Astral Aviation due for two B737 freighters next month

Astral Aviation (8V, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) will take delivery of its first of two B737-400(F)s later next month as it prepares to enhance its intra-African market penetration. Astral had previously announced plans to acquire three MD-83(F)s to replace its two ageing DC-9-30(F)s.

According to CEO Sanjeev Gadhia, the aircraft will be used to increase frequencies on the Kenyan freight specialist's existing routes to D. R. Congo, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Chad, and Central African Republic. In the long term, Astral plans to establish additional hubs in Lagos, Nigeria to cover the oil-rich economies of West Africa, and Johannesburg O.R. Tambo, South Africa to cover the fast emerging Southern African Development Community (SADC) trade bloc.

In addition to its two DC-9 freighters, Astral also operates a Cessna 208B(F), a Fokker 27, a B727-200(F) wet-leased from AeroSpace Consortium (AKQ, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta), and a B747-400(F) wet-leased from Atlas Air (5Y, New York JFK). With Hainan Airlines (HU, Haikou) set to become a shareholder in the carrier, Astral also plans to introduce five ERJ-145 passenger jets into its fleet. 

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Astral Aviation temporarily deploys a B727 freighter

Astral Aviation has supplemented its short/medium haul fleet of two DC-9-30(F)s and a Fokker 27(F) with a B727-200(F), 5Y-GMA Photo:Astral