Etihad Cargo and Astral Aviation operated the inaugural Nairobi-Abu Dhabi flight
Etihad Cargo in partnership with Astral Aviation, a leading cargo airline with extensive African network coverage, successfully completed the recent inaugural flight from Nairobi, Kenya, to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
This flight marked the commencement of a promising collaboration following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two carriers, aimed at expanding Etihad Cargo’s reach into the African market.
The inaugural flight was strategically timed to accommodate the increased demand for flowers, demonstrating the synergy between Etihad Cargo’s global reach and Astral Aviation’s strong African network. The successful operation underscored the partnership’s potential to enhance cargo capacity and offer efficient logistics solutions, particularly for time-sensitive shipments such as perishable goods.
Air cargo solutions
“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,” commented Stanislas Brun, Vice President Cargo, Etihad Cargo.
“This inaugural flight, and the commencement of weekly flights to Nairobi, is further evidence of the important commercial and business ties Abu Dhabi Airports, and our partners Etihad Airways and Astral Aviation, are helping to facilitate,” remarked Wilson Chan, Senior Vice President– Freezone Cargo & Logistics of Abu Dhabi Airports.
“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,” stated Sanjeev Gadhia, CEO, Astral Aviation.
