Etihad Cargo, Abu Dhabi's Etihad Aviation Group's cargo and logistics business, has expanded its pharma sector reach into Africa with the signature of a Service Legal Agreement (SLA) with Astral Aviation and Kenya Airways to provide trustworthy and cost-effective airfreight services across the continent.

Astral Aviation, which flies 14 freighters out of its Nairobi and Johannesburg bases, supplies a network of 15 African destinations that Etihad Cargo will employ to improve vaccination distribution across the continent. The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and Pharma are both members of these organizations. Aero, whose collaborative Project Sunrays project provides pharma shippers with cross-industry collaboration for handling difficult vaccine distribution logistics.

The SLA, which is Etihad Cargo's first Pharma Interline agreement, ensures that Etihad Cargo's partners are fully compliant with the latest GDP and IATA Pharma regulations and standards, and that the whole process, from booking to handling such delicate commodities, is standardised and carried out to the greatest possible standards.

Etihad Aviation Group's Senior Vice President Sales and Cargo Martin Drew said, "In addition to considerably expanding Etihad Cargo's reach across Africa, this inter-airline relationship ensures absolute adherence to the particular norms of pharmaceutical product delivery. Customers can be certain that Etihad Cargo partners will skillfully preserve cool chain integrity."

Peter Musola, Kenya Airways' Head of Cargo Commercial said, “Kenya Airways Cargo is delighted to join Etihad Cargo in the HOPE Consortium effort by delivering logistical solutions across the African continent. With just 2.5 percent of the African continent vaccinated against COVID-19, this will go a long way toward fulfilling the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) goal of vaccinating 60% of the population by the end of 2022. This is a critical necessity and a need for African aviation revival."

The collaboration between Etihad Cargo, Kenya Airways, and Astral Aviation strengthens Abu Dhabi's position as a global logistics center capable of supporting vaccine distribution throughout Africa, with 27 offline and four online stations currently in place. It also enhances the Hope Consortium, a private-public sector supply chain specialist situated in the UAE capital that delivers worldwide COVID relief to the globe.

Etihad Cargo has sent over 2,500 tonnes of pharmaceuticals to Africa since the outbreak, including 41 particular flights on behalf of the UAE government. The airline now serves 72 network locations in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Its 65 aircraft make 430 weekly rotations, as well as charter flights to destinations outside the network.