With SkyExec Capital Jets acting as facilitator, Nairobi based air cargo carrier Astral Aviation has signed an agreement with Aquila Air Capital – a US-based speciality finance platform – for leasing 3 Boeing 757-200F freighter aircraft. SkyExec Capital Jets will ‘service the lease during the term’ and the aircraft are expected to be delivered this month after undergoing the scheduled maintenance.
We are delighted to bring on Astral Airlines as a customer. We look forward to this being the beginning [of] a long-term relationship with Astral to help facilitate their future growth.”
~ Al Wood, CEO Aquila Air Capital
Aquila Air Capital is a speciality finance platform focused on providing asset financing in partnership with industry participants as well as purchasing and leasing aircraft, engines and other aviation equipment.
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.”
~ Sanjeev Gadhia, CEO Astral Aviation
Astral Aviation boasts of a fleet of 14 freighter aeroplanes bejewelled with Fokker 27Fs, CRJ 200Fs, B747Fs, B767Fs, DC9s andB727Fs. The 3 additions to the fleet will make Astral the largest B757F operator and the only B767F operator in Africa and the Middle East. The fleet plies on international routes like Nairobi-London, Nairobi-Sharjah and a network to Dubai and Hong Kong. Astral COO Michael Mutahi said the B757F is a narrow-body, mid-range freighter and holds a payload of 30 tonnes with a range of 5 hours, which makes it a perfect freighter for the African, Middle East and South-East Asia regions.
