Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”), a leading specialty aviation finance platform, announced today that the company signed operating lease agreements for a fleet of three Boeing 757-200PCFs with Kenya-based Astral Airlines (Astral”). 

The aircraft are expected to be delivered to Astral starting in November 2021, upon completion of their scheduled maintenance. Astral will become the largest B757F operator in the Middle East & Africa. 

“We are delighted to bring on Astral Airlines as a customer. At Aquila, we are uniquely focused on providing cost-effective and flexible solutions for our customers to manage through these unprecedented times. We look forward to this being the beginning to a long-term relationship with Astral to help facilitate their future growth,” said Al Wood, Chief Executive Officer of Aquila Air Capital.

“We are excited to enter into a lease agreement for three B757-200F aircraft from Aquila Air Capital and SkyExec Capital Jets. 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,” commented Astral’s Chief Executive Officer, Sanjeev Gadhia. 

“The B757-200F will complement the Astral fleet with new and efficient options to and within its existing scheduled and charter freighter network, which comprises of over 50 destinations in Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia,” added Astral’s Commercial Director in UAE, Satvir Kalsi.