Astral signs lease deal for more B757 freighters
09 / 11 / 2021
Image source: Astral Aviation
Astral Aviation has signed up to lease three B757 freighter aircraft from Aquila Air Capital.
The aircraft are due to be delivered to the Nairobi-headquartered airline in November, upon completion of their scheduled maintenance.
With the agreement, Astral Aviation will become the largest B757F operator in Africa and Middle East, in addition to being the only B767F operator in the region.
In total, the airline operates a fleet of 14 freighter aircraft, including including Fokker 27Fs, CRJ 200Fs, B747Fs, B767Fs, DC9s and B727Fs.
Astral chief executive Sanjeev Gadhia said: “The aircraft will take over the Nairobi-Johannesburg and Nairobi-Dubai scheduled service with increased frequency for our clients in addition to new scheduled routes to and within Africa and Middle East in 2022.
“It will also offer point-to-point solutions for Covid-19 vaccines (from India/UAE to Africa) in addition to e-commerce shipments to new markets.”
Astral chief operating officer Michael Mutahi added: “The B757F is a fuel-efficient, mid-range and narrow-body freighter, with a payload of up to 30 tons and a range of five hours, which makes it a perfect freighter for the African, Middle East & Southeast Asia region.”
