African boost for Etihad cargo flights

Etihad's cargo division Etihad Crystal Cargo is to operate its A300-600 freighter aircraft between Abu Dhabi and Nairobi twice weekly following an interline deal with Astral Aviation.

The deal gives Etihad access to seven Astral destinations in Africa: Entebbe, Zanzibar, Dar Es Salaam, Mwanza, Juba, Kigali and Bujumbura.

Des Vertannes Etihad’s executive vice president cargo said: “Last year witnessed a record performance from Etihad Crystal Cargo and we are delighted to expand our global flight network even further following this interline agreement with Astral Aviation.

“This interline agreement is a very important addition to our airline’s cargo division and will help to continue the rapid growth of our shipments across Africa and build on the strong relationships we already have there.”

Etihad’s Des Vertannes (left) and Astral's Sanjeev Gadhia (right)

Astral Aviation’s chief executive Sanjeev Gadhia added: “Interline traffic accounts for 60 per cent of in-bound shipments into Astral’s network, and the recent bilateral interline agreement with Etihad Crystal Cargo marks an important synergy for both airlines whose GSA’s and customers will have access to a wider network.”