Emirates SkyCargo focuses on fresh with new perishables service

Emirates SkyCargo has launched Emirates SkyFresh – a service to help maintain the freshness of perishables and fresh consumables during transportation and a new cool dolly product. Emirates SkyFresh brings together the carrier’s state-of-the-art infrastructure at its hub in Dubai, a modern fleet of widebodied aircraft, and innovative cool chain services including the brand new ‘Ventilated Cool Dolly’ […]

IATA WCS2017: Astral Aerial wins Innovation Award with drone project

Astral Aerial Solutions has won the 2017 IATA Cargo Innovation Award with its ‘UTM Concept for Africa’, a project to use drones in remote areas with insufficient infrastructure. Kenya-based Astral Aerial Solutions is a subsidiary of Astral Aviation, and says the concept seeks to answer the questions surrounding safe, secure and effective drone operations and […]

AF-KL-MP flies 5,000t of flowers for Valentine’s and Women’s Day

Air France KLM Martinair (AF-KL-MP) Cargo has flown 5,000 tonnes of flowers in five weeks to meet demand for Valentine’s Day and International Women’s Day. The flowers were flown to Europe in February and March from countries including Kenya, Ecuador and Colombia both on freighter aircraft and in the bellyhold of passenger aircraft, offering 17 […]

Ambitious Siginon Aviation looking to grow its presence in Nairobi

Kenyan cargo handler Siginon Aviation is targeting a contract win with a European carrier in Nairobi in the near future as it looks to further expand its presence at one of Africa’s main airfreight hubs. Earlier this month it secure a cargo handling deal with Qatar Airways Cargo, adding to others it has with Cargolux, […]

Heathrow ready for Valentine’s Day with 570 tonnes of rose imports

Heathrow Airport is expecting to import 570 tonnes of roses, triple the average month to make sure supplies are well stocked ahead of Valentine’s Day. Red roses have been a Valentine’s Day staple since the 17th century, and 88 per cent of fresh cut flowers come from countries along the equator. Kenyan roses accounted for […]

Siginon Aviation named as official Qatar Airways Cargo handler in Kenya

Siginon Aviation has been appointed as the official ground and ramp handler for Qatar Airways Cargo at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi. Siginon Aviation’s $10 million state-of-the-art air cargo terminal at JKIA was commissioned in 2014 has been custom designed and includes a 3,000 square metre Perishables Centre, a 5,000 square metre General […]

Emirates to start third daily flight to Nairobi

Emirates Airline is to increase capacity in Africa with a third daily flight to Nairobi from 1 June. Flight EK717 will leave Dubai at 01.40h and arrive in the Kenyan capital at 05.40h, with the return flight, EK718 departing Nairobi and landing back in Dubai at 13.15h. The Boeing 777-300ER flight will provide 16 tonnes […]

Kenya Airways Cargo to export flowers into Australia

Kenya Airways Cargo (KQ Cargo) is now exporting Kenyan cut flowers to Australia after partnering with Qantas Airways. The new service was introduced after market research identified Sydney and Melbourne as being key markets for Kenyan flowers. The Kenyan carrier is targeting to lift more than 30 tonnes of flowers into Australia every month as part of […]

DHL and Gavi join forces to improve vaccine supply chain

Deutsche Post DHL Group and Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance – are to team-up to provide efficient transport management and help improve vaccine supply chain for vaccine distribution in Gavi-supported countries. Kenya is one of the first countries to benefit from the new partnership, announcing a new initiative with DHL – the logistics arm of the Deutsche […]

IAG Cargo donates blankets to Kenyan school children

IAG Cargo has donated four pallets of blankets and sleeping bags to help keep Kenyan school children in Nairobi warm this winter. Working with humanitarian organisation The Order of Malta, and Blankets4Africa, which works with charities to distribute blankets to those in need, IAG Cargo collected over 400 cabin blankets and 150 crew sleeping bags, […]

Air battling with sea for increased market share

Getting food to a customer’s plate as fresh, tasty and nutritious as possible has been the mantra of retailers and growers for hundreds of years. Where in the past this may have involved a quick cart ride from farm to village market, today’s globalised world means making the best use of freight options either by […]

Increasing perishables to Asia the main focus for Kenya Airways

Kenya Airways (KQ) is looking to develop new Asian markets for the Africa countries flower-led perishables industry, acting general manager of cargo Peter Musola tells Michael Mackey. Some 70 per cent of the perishables market is Europe-bound Musola tells Air Cargo Week  and the Nairobi-headquartered carrier is looking to do something similar in China by […]

Panalpina blossoming after buying Airflo

Flowers and perishables in general are blooming for Panalpina in Kenya and across Africa and it expects this trend to continue over the next five to six years. Country manager for Kenya, Conrad Archer tells Justin Burns that growth has been considerable since the acquisition of Airflo last year – Kenya’s second largest freight forwarder, which […]

More flights to Angola as Liege Airport and NAS strengthen partnership

Network Airline Services (NAS) has signed a new partnership with Liege Airport making the Belgian airport its hub for Africa and increase flights to Angola. NAS has transported over 90,000 tonnes of freight using Liege Airport since May 2014 with its worldwide network linking the USA, Malaysia and Hong Kong to Europe. There are direct […]

Air Charter Service to supply UK government

Air Charter Service (ACS) has been appointed by the UK government as its supplier for the humanitarian division for the next two years. ACS will be a supplier for the Department of International Development and has been working with the division for a number of years. Business development director, Lloyd Robinson says ACS is delighted […]

The last region of air cargo opportunity is rising

Africa is the last frontier of opportunity for aviation and the air cargo market, relatively untapped and waiting to develop into the powerhouse region many think it can become. However, it continues to be held back by political instability, despite this improving, a lack of infrastructure and co-operation between all 54 countries on the continent, […]

African handler Siginon Aviation renews SIA Cargo agreement

Kenyan cargo handler Siginon Aviation has renewed its ground handling agreement with Singapore Airlines Cargo (SIA Cargo) at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi for three years. The new agreement follows a rigorous audit of Siginon’s processes, facilities and systems in the newly opened air cargo terminal on the airside of JKIA. Siginon Aviation has […]

60 Seconds with Astral Aviation founder and chief executive officer, Sanjeev Gadhia

Justin Burns, ACW: How is business for Astral Aviation? Gadhia: We have experienced a 15 per cent decline in payloads in 2016, compared to the same period in 2015, which can be contributed to various reasons such as drop of oil, gas and mining commodities, which combined with a weak currency is affecting inbound volumes […]

AirBridgeCargo starts African services

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has started twice weekly Boeing 747 Freighter services to Africa, starting in the UK, then onto Germany, before flying to Gabon and South Africa, returning via Kenya. The first service flew on 14 February and will operate on Thursdays and Sundays under an aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) contract with CargoLogicAir […]

CargoLogicAir operates its first charters

CargoLogicAir has operated its first charter flights, sending automotive parts to Italy and fresh flowers from Kenya to the UK. Its launch customer was Chapman Freeborn Italia, which it organised two Boeing 747-400 Freighter charters to Bari, Italy, via Frankfurt (Germany). The Bari flight carried a total of 113 tonnes of automotive parts, including engine […]

Kenyan flowers in demand from North America

Many will be out buying roses for loved ones this weekend for Valentine’s Day on Sunday and they could well be Kenyan flowers, which are in high demand, notably from North America. IAG Cargo says there is a blossoming trade for Kenyan flower growers and initial figures show flower volumes destined for the US have increased over […]

Lufthansa sends roses for Valentine’s Day

Lufthansa Cargo will be transporting over 1,500 tonnes of flowers for lovers for Valentine’s Day, enough to fill 16 Boeing MD-11 Freighters. The German airline has added special charter flights from Ecuador’s capital, Quito, and the capital of Kenya, Nairobi, to Lufthansa’s main hub, Frankfurt. It used its Fresh/td product to keep the perishable flowers […]

Kenya vibrant as growth rolls on

Growth forecasts are well over five per cent annually at Kenya’s airports, and the cargo picture is one of a vibrant sector with expanding potential. Airfreight is one of the key business and revenue drivers for Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), says marketing and business development manager, Bernard Mogambi. Of three airports managed by KAA, Nairobi’s […]