Etihad Cargo, Astral Aviation sign MoU to grow African network

Etihad Cargo has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Astral Aviation to expand the partnership between the two parties and growing the carrier’s reach into the African market.

With the agreement, Etihad Cargo’s customers will benefit from additional cargo capacity out of Nairobi via the introduction of additional services from Nairobi to its hub in Abu Dhabi from April 1.

 The expansion of the partnership between Etihad Cargo and Astral Aviation will further enhance the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s capabilities in the African market.

Etihad Cargo signs SLA in 2021

In 2021, the carrier signed a service level agreement (SLA) with Astral Aviation to provide reliable and cost-effective air freight solutions for the transport of pharmaceuticals across the continent.

The SLA was the carrier’s first pharma interline agreement and ensured the carrier’s partners’ full compliance with the latest IATA Pharma and GDP regulations and standards.

This latest agreement builds on Astral Aviation’s expanding partnership with Abu Dhabi, which will see it operating more flights to the UAE’s capital, supported by Etihad Cargo.

 The agreement will see Astral Aviation and Etihad Cargo sharing up to 50 per cent of all available capacity on the new Nairobi-Abu Dhabi-Nairobi flights, increasing the capacity the ABu-Dhabi based carrier offers air cargo and air mail customers.

Etihad Cargo will also utilise its expansive road feeder service network to transport cargo arriving in Abu Dhabi from Nairobi to destinations throughout the UAE and other offline stations.

Martin Drew, SVP – Global Sales & Cargo at Etihad Airways, said: “The partnership will enable Etihad Cargo to expand its African network and offer increased cargo capacity both into and out of Nairobi, strengthening the connection between the two cities via this key route and further developing this critical African gateway.”

“We are truly honored to enter into a MoU with Etihad Cargo as a part of our strategy to expand our network globally, which will enhance accessibility and connectivity via Etihad’s Abu Dhabi Hub,” said Sanjeev Gadhia, CEO of Astral Aviation. “We look forward to transporting perishables from Kenya into Abu Dhabi and beyond on Etihad’s network, and on the return with cargoes from Asia, US and Europe to connect into Astral’s Intra African network in Nairobi. This cooperation will create new opportunities for our respective clients and will be a win-win partnership.”

In recent news, Etihad Cargo reported that it exceeded its operational performance targets in 2022. The carrier achieved 80.5 per cent on-time-performance (OTP) for freighter departures and 84.1 per cent OTP for freighter arrivals, ahead of its 80 per cent target.

Read: Etihad Cargo crosses operational performance targets in 2022

 The carrier has also maintained a delivered-as-promised (DAP) rate of 86.6 per cent, a 2.6 per cent improvement compared to the previous year and over its target of 85 per cent.