Airlines boost cargo capacity as demand rebounds

KQ for instance recently acquired two Boeing 737-800 freighters each with a 21-tonne capacity and a six-hour range, enabling it to expand into Dubai, Sharjah, and India.

The national carrier, through its subsidiary KQ Cargo, has also opened new routes, including Mogadishu, Hargeisa (Somaliland), Djibouti, and Juba to facilitate trade within Africa.

KQ Cargo Director Dickson Murianki said the airline also plans to expand its footprint in West Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

“Lagos, the leading importer in Africa, is a key target. We also plan to serve the oil and gas industry and expand into Jeddah, Mumbai, and Hong Kong” the official said.

Cargo revenues have historically contributed between nine percent and 13 percent of Kenya Airways' total revenue but the airline is targeting a 15 percent share in the next three years.

Jambojet plans to boost its cargo capacity with additional aircraft this year as part of its broader expansion strategy.

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Karanja Ndegwa, CEO and managing director of Jambojet said cargo is a key contributor to their growth strategy which gives the need to explore ways of expanding the business.

“This year, we are expecting two additional aircraft, and that includes solutions to drive the cargo business.”

Beyond serving its scheduled network, the airline is also considering ad hoc cargo charters to new destinations seeking to tap into the growing demand for flexible freight solutions.

Ad hoc cargo is a transportation service that operates on a need-be or demand basis unlike that of a scheduled basis.

“There’s a lot of demand for air freight in the region, driven by cross-border business, especially in the landlocked countries and developing economies. 60 percent of the cargo we carry is general cargo, followed by fresh cargo at 22 percent, dominated by regional destinations,” Mr Ndegwa said.

Emirates SkyCargo is also reinforcing its offering with two weekly freighters alongside two daily passenger flights carrying belly-hold cargo.

“Kenya is one of our key markets in Africa. We also have 44 pharma corridors around the world, and Kenya is one of four in Africa where we support pharma shipments with cold storage facilities and cold dollies,” said Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President at Emirates SkyCargo.

The airline in its push to strengthen its footprint in Kenya is investing in infrastructure and fostering collaborations with local stakeholders.

A recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Astral Aviation pinpoints its intent to extend its reach beyond Kenya into the wider African markets.

In a disclosure, Mr Abbas says the airline plans to double its capacity by 2026 from the current eleven freighters and five wet-leased Boeing 747s to meet the rising market demand.

“By December 2026, we aim to have a fleet of 21 dedicated freighters, doubling our current capacity. That should allow us to add more freighters into Kenya and other African destinations,” said Mr Abbas.

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A wet lease is a type of leasing agreement where one airline (the lessor) provides an aircraft with a complete crew, maintenance, and insurance to another airline. A dry lease is an agreement to lease an aircraft without crew members, the lessee is completely responsible for the aircraft’s operation.

Currently, Emirates SkyCargo's freighters boast some of the industry’s largest cargo capacities, with Boeing 747s capable of carrying over 110 tonnes and Boeing 777s exceeding 100 tonnes per trip.

Astral Aviation, another key player has been in the cargo operation with flights from its hub at JKIA has capitalised on the growing demand for fresh produce exports and medical shipments.

The airline currently operates scheduled flights for flowers, fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat into key markets such as Dubai, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv, handling a capacity of 100 tonnes per week.

Sanjeev Gadhia, chief executive officer of Astral Aviation says that the Kenyan market is experiencing positive growth in perishable exports while the imports of consumer goods have slowed down over the past year.

Astral has also signed a MoU with Emirates SkyCargo to enhance its cargo interline. It has also additionally signed a new partnership with AirAsia that will enable it to distribute cargo for the Malaysian carrier into Africa via its Nairobi hub.

Analysis by the International Air Transport Association (Iata) shows that the air cargo industry continued to grow, with a 3.2 percent year-on-year jump in January 2025 albeit at a considerably lower rate than the previous year.

Nevertheless, the growth marked 18 consecutive months of expansion.

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