Being licensed as a cargo airline, Astral Aviation has its headquarters in Nairobi in Kenya. The airline was founded in November 2000 and it started its operations in January 2001. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has given Air Operators Certificate (AOC) and Air Service License (ASL) to this airline. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi is the main hub of this airline.
Flying securely in the blue clear skies of Africa around 18 years, Astral Aviation offers authentic and profitable airfreight solutions with an alliance of schedule and charter flights inside its intra-African and European network.
Astral runs a fleet of B727-200 (24 tons), DC9 (15 tons), and F27 (5 tons) Freighter inside its intra-African network, along with a wet-leased B747-400 Freighter on the Nairobi – London, and Liege sector.
Astral operates a coalition of scheduled and ad hoc charters with value-added leasing services. Its interline agreements with over 20 Interline Partners with preferential agreements with the prominent global and local freight forwarders, and partnerships with over 25 global GSA’s, serve the integration of cargoes at the freighter-friendly Liege Airport and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The airline has 50 destinations within its intra-African network.
Astral Aviation has been an acquirer of an International award by Stat Times in excellence in Air Cargo, African Carrier of the Year in 2011, 2013, 2015 & 2017.
Astral Aviation is a member of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), Kenya Association of Air Operators, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KNCCI), African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Neutral Air Partner (NAP), IATA ICH (Non-Airline Member), and Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA).
The major Destinations covered by Astral are the United Kingdom, Belgium, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Somalia.
One Boeing 747-400BDSF, One Boeing 747-400F, One Fokker 27-M500F, and Two McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30CF are the main fleets of Astral Aviation.
Astral provides a distinctive but modified sea-air service from the Ports of Mombasa to the inland countries of D. R. Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Southern Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, and Zambia to name but a few.\
Astral combines the transit clearance at the port, warehousing, sea-freight, and airfreight to the end destination, thus decreasing the transit time, the number of intermediaries indulged, and cost.
Astral would become a part of a strategic partnership with a preeminent shipping company in order to offer the lively link to a sea-air service that would be only one of its forms in the continent and would add value to the present sea-air products for Africa currently managing in Dubai. Within years, Astral would extend its sea-air product to cover Southern Africa and West Africa.