Network Airline Management (NAM) and Kenya-based Astral Aviation have signed a long-term wet lease with Air Atlanta Icelandic adding a factory-built, nose-loader B747-400 Freighter to their existing managed fleet of three MD11Fs.

The B747-400F made its inaugural flight from London Stansted Airport to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport yesterday, expanding NAM’s capacity to East Africa. The group expects to handle around 33,000 tonnes of perishable exports from East Africa to Europe per year.

NAM, which is a division of the Network Aviation Group says it will enable it to develop their presence in Africa, and especially the Kenyan perishables market, adding capacity for flowers and vegetables from Nairobi to the UK.

NAM Group chairman, Andy Leslie says: “We are excited to enter into this agreement with Astral Aviation and Air Atlanta Icelandic and look forward to a long and successful partnership enabling us to further expand our network.”

Astral Aviation founder and chief executive officer, Sanjeev Gadhia says: “The newly acquired B747-400F from Air Atlanta Icelandic will strengthen our position as a market-leader in perishable exports from Kenya to the UK market.

“Furthermore, the B747F will feed its intra-African network in Nairobi with cargo, which will be consolidated in its Liege hub originating from Europe and the US.”

The nose-loader B747F will also enable the group to attract out-sized oil, gas and mining equipment for West and East Africa, which is expected to increase following the high oil prices experienced during the past week.

Gadhia adds: “While most foreign carriers are reducing their capacity to Africa, Astral Aviation remains ‘cautiously optimistic’ of positive growth in perishable exports to Europe and a strong south-bound demand from Europe to West and East Africa, fuelled by the growth in consumer demand for e-commerce and oil and gas equipment due to the improved fuel-prices.”

He concludes, “According to IATA, African carriers had the fastest growth in year-on-year freight volumes. However, growth is set to remain in double digits for the remainder of 2017.”

Air Atlanta Icelandic vice president of sales and marketing, Baldvin M. Hermannsson says: “We are thrilled to start this new chapter in our wet leasing with our new, highly respected partners, Astral Aviation and NAM, and are pleased that our services and technology will further improve their offerings to the industry.”