While there has been a reduction in capacity to, from, and within Africa, which has been caused by a stoppage of passenger flights and limited frequencies on freighter aircraft, Astral Aviation has continued to operate cargo freighters from its Nairobi hub to 13 destinations in Africa, which include South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia, according to Sanjeev Gadhia, Chief Executive Officer of Astral Aviation.
Starting May 25 2020, Astral will operate to Lilongwe in Malawi and Lusaka in Zambia with a weekly frequency, and also to Kismayo and Bosaso in Somalia, which brings the number of destinations it serves on schedule to 13, according to Charles Simiyu, Commercial Director of Astral Aviation.
During the pandemic, Astral has operated a number of charter flights for Personal Protective Equipment and medical items to various African countries, which include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Eritrea, Burundi, Madagascar, Djibouti, Yemen and Sudan.