Astral Aviation to operate first two converted e-jets

Aircraft leasing company Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) has signed a MoU with Kenya-based cargo airline Astral Aviation to place the first two Embraer E190F passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversions. In May 2022, NAC and Embraer reached an agreement in principle to take up to 10 conversion slots for E190F/E195F, with first deliveries starting in 2024. The aircraft for conversion will come from NAC’s existing E190/E195 fleet. Sanjeev Gadhia, founder and chief executive at Astral Aviation, said: “We are honoured to be the launch operator of the Embraer 190F, which will be based in Astral’s Nairobi hub. It will operate on a combination of scheduled and charter flights on our intra-African network. The e-jets are well known for their efficiency, flexibility and sustainability. We are confident that the e-jet freighter platform will be a game-changing addition to our growing fleet.”