Astral Aviation resumes China–Africa freighter flights

Astral Aviation has resumed its dedicated freighter service between Haikou, China, and Johannesburg, South Africa, following the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement with Fly Noor Aviation Services at the Air Cargo China 2026 exhibition in Shanghai.

The agreement, signed by the CEOs of both companies, aims to strengthen air cargo connectivity between China and Africa amid rising trade volumes and growing demand for reliable freight capacity.

Under the partnership, Astral Aviation will operate a twice-weekly scheduled Boeing 767-300 Freighter service with a payload capacity of up to 50 tonnes per flight. The service will connect Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province and a key Free Trade Port, with Johannesburg via Astral's Nairobi hub, providing a direct logistics link between Asia and Africa.

The route is expected to support the transportation of e-commerce shipments, electronics, consumer goods, textiles, automotive parts, pharmaceuticals and general cargo from China to Africa. It will also facilitate exports of perishables, agricultural products and other high-value African commodities to Asian markets.

The service resumes as China–Africa trade continues to expand, driving demand for dependable air cargo capacity. The partnership combines Fly Noor Aviation Services' commercial expertise with Astral Aviation's extensive African network to provide enhanced logistics solutions for freight forwarders, shippers and e-commerce providers across both regions.

Sanjeev Gadhia, CEO of Astral Aviation, said, “We are delighted to partner with Fly Noor Aviation Services in restarting the Haikou–Johannesburg freighter service. The agreement signed at Air Cargo China 2026 reflects our shared vision of building stronger logistics bridges between China and Africa. This dedicated twice-weekly service will provide customers with reliable capacity, faster transit times and seamless access to one of the world's fastest-growing trade corridors.”

Johannesburg will serve as the primary gateway for cargo distribution across Southern, Eastern and Central Africa through Astral Aviation's established regional network. On the other end, Haikou will provide direct access to one of China's fastest-growing manufacturing, logistics and e-commerce hubs.

The resumption of the route aligns with Astral Aviation's long-term strategy to strengthen trade links between Africa and key global markets by expanding its scheduled freighter network and offering reliable air cargo connectivity for international shippers.