Astral makes second cargo delivery at Eldoret airport
Kenya Revenue Authority Board Chairman Anthony Mwaura (right), Nandi County Governor Stephen Sang second (right) and Kenya Airports Authority Chairman Caleb Kositany third (right), and other officials inside a cargo plane which landed at Eldoret International Airport in Uasin Gishu County from the Middle East on March 14, 2024. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NMG
Cargo flight operator Astral Aviation made its second cargo landing at the Eldoret International Airport on Thursday after a five-hour flight from the Middle East.
This follows the resumption of cargo flights by the airline last Friday, March 8, after the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) entered into an agreement with the Kenya Association of International Cargo Consolidators (KAICC) over taxation.
North Rift Economic Bloc (Noreb) chairperson Stephen Sang who was at the airport to receive the cargo plane on Thursday said there was a need for all stakeholders to work together to increase volumes of agricultural produce for export.
“This facility is now fully back in operation and we need to work together to turn it into a vibrant cargo hub. We have fresh vegetables, dairy, and other agricultural produce and we are ready to engage farmers to produce more,” stated the Nandi governor who chairs the regional bloc bringing together eight counties.
Noreb members are Uasin Gishu, Trans-Nzoia, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Baringo, Samburu, and Turkana counties.
Astral Aviation commercial manager Mustafa Murad explained that the 40-tonne cargo flight will now operate every Saturday to the Middle East and other countries, noting that there is a big demand in the Middle East for fresh produce.
He said the airline was ready to introduce more flights depending on the availability of cargo.
“There is a big demand in the Middle for perishable fresh produce such as fruits, vegetables, and meat in the UAE and Saudi Arabia,” explained Mr Murad.
Abdirahman Bashir, the KAICC chairperson, stated that producers and traders will comply with the requirements, noting the flights' resumption transforms the region into a cargo business hub.
KRA chairperson Antony Mwaura said the authority reached a deal to resolve the impasse over tax evasion among the importers at the facility.
