 Message from CEO
On behalf of the board of directors of Astral Aviation,
I would like to thank you for expressing interest in
Astral Aviation, which is Africa's most dynamic cargo
airline.
As the founder and CEO of Astral Aviation, it has been
an absolute pleasure to fly the blue skies of Africa,
which is a continent of immense opportunity, yet so
dependent on the skies for the movement of cargoes
across its borders.
The company was formed 13 years ago with humble
beginnings as a charter airline operating a fleet of
wet-leased Russian aircrafts, and thereafter transforming
into a scheduled carrier following the designation
status as a national carrier.
In 2009, Astral implemented a fleet renewal program
from wet-leased Russian aircrafts to dry-leased DC9
Freighters which it operates to date on the intra-
African network. In 2014 Astral will embark on an
ambitious expansion strategy which will involve the
acquisition of six MD 83 aircrafts over a period of 3
years, and establish a West African and South African
hub.
With a diverse client base comprising of the world's
best interline partners, freight forwarders, GSA's,charter brokers, UN Agencies and aid organizations,
Astral Aviation has been truly fortunate to be recognized
as the MARKET LEADER in Eastern Africa and
the voice of the industry in the continent.
In 2011 and 2013 Astral was awarded African All
Cargo Carrier by Stat Times.
The next 5 year will be exciting for Astral as we embark
on an ambitious, yet cautious, expansion strategy
which will involve the acquisition of B737-400F and
a network expansion on the intra-African sector.
Our History
Astral Aviation Ltd. was incorporated in Kenya as a
Private Company on 2 November 2000 (as C. 91739).
Astral Aviation was awarded its Air Service License
(ASL) in May 2001 and its Air Operators Certificate
(AoC) in July 2001.
The License entitles the Company to provide air services
between Kenya – Africa, Europe and Middle East as follows:
 Non-scheduled all cargo service within Africa, Europe
and Middle East
International scheduled all-cargo service as per Ministry
of Transport designation:
• United Kingdom
• Belgium
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Rwanda
• South Sudan
• D R Congo
• Burundi
• Mozambique
• Comoros
• South Africa
Astral Aviation holds valid Air Service Licenses in the
following countries:
South Sudan | Uganda | Tanzania | Somalia
Astral Aviation was designated as a national carrier
by the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kenya
in November 2006.
Astral Aviation operated as a charter airline operating
an extensive fleet of wet-leased Russian freighters
from 2001 – 2006 for specialized projects in the mining
sector, perishables and air-drop of food in South
Sudan.
In 2007 Astral changed its business strategy by
operating as a scheduled carrier which it maintains
to date.
In 2009, Astral acquired a fleet of DC9 & B727
Freighter on dry-lease basis which it operates on a
combination of schedule and charter flights to date
Astral operates a reliable and efficient schedule service
on the DC 9F on the following routes:
• Nairobi – Juba - Nairobi
• Nairobi – Dar-es-Salaam - Nairobi
• Nairobi – Mwanza - Nairobi
• Nairobi – Entebbe – Nairobi
• Nairobi – Kigali - Nairobi
• Nairobi – Mogadishu - Nairobi
• Nairobi – Pemba - Nairobi
BUSINESS MODEL
Within its intra-African network, which encompasses
50 destinations, Astral operates a combination
of scheduled and ad-hoc charters along
with value-added services. Its interline agreements
with over 20 Interline Partners; along with preferential
agreements with the leading global and local
freight forwarders; and partnerships with over 25
global GSA's facilitate the consolidation and transshipment
of in-bound cargoes at the freighter-friendly
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Astral Aviation's focus is to maintain a solid intra-African
network which will be served by a combination
of schedule and charter flights. Its current footprint
which encompasses Eastern Africa with its dynamic
Nairobi hub enables it to actively serve the economies
of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan,
Somalia and Mozambique with its current DC9 Fleet.
Astral Aviation expects to acquire a fleet of B737-
400F in 2014 - 16 which will result in further
expansions in the intra-African sector with increased
frequency on the existing routes and network expansion
into D. R. Congo, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Chad
and Central African Republic.
Long term strategies relate to further intra-African
expansion with additional hubs in Lagos, Nigeria
to cover the oil-rich economies of West Africa, and
Johannesburg, South Africa to cover the economies
of Southern Africa.
Astral Aviation's ultimate strategy is to operate the
largest cargo network in A frica w ith three independent
hubs in Nairobi, Lagos and Johannesburg,
and to eventually operate freighters into Europe,
Middle East and China bound with exports from
South and East Africa and return with imports for
the entire continent.
Value Added Services - Sea Air Services
Astral offers a unique but limited sea-air service from
the Ports of Mombasa to the land-locked countries
of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, D. R. Congo, Ethiopia,
Southern Sudan, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Central
African Republic, and Chad, to name but a few.
Astral combines the sea-freight, transit clearance
at the port, warehousing, and airfreight to the enddestination,
thus reducing the cost, transit time, and
the number of intermediaries involved.
Astral will enter into a strategic partnership with a
leading shipping company to provide the vital link to
a sea-air service which will be the only one of its kind
in the continent and will complement existing sea-air
products for Africa currently undertaken in Dubai.
In time, Astral will expand its sea-air product to cover
West Africa and Southern Africa
To read more, download the pdf below
 Astral Company Profile
Astral Africa Wings 2014
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