MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) Air Cargo & Freight Logistics Supply Chain & Manufacturing Challenges Africa Aircraft Orders and Deliveries Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs) Airlines Boeing

Astral Aviation to start Boeing 777-300ER-to-freighter (P2F) conversions in 2027, targeting up to five aircraft by 2031

Kenyan cargo carrier Astral Aviation plans to begin operating converted Boeing 777-300ER freighters in 2027. Over the following five years, the airline expects to introduce up to five of the large twin-engine aircraft into its fleet, following a founder and Cargo Facts EMEA presentation.

Discovered 2026-05-05T02:38:53.831888-07:00 | 2026-05-05T02:38:53.831888-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

Astral Aviation’s P2F plan signals continued expansion of widebody freighter capacity in Africa, with a clear target window: first operations in 2027 and up to five aircraft added through 2031.
The decision links market demand and fleet renewal strategy to Boeing 777-300ER availability, reinforcing how cargo operators are using conversions to manage delivery timing.
For planners across the cargo value chain, the move affects expectations for future lift, aircraft availability, and the throughput needs placed on MRO and freighter conversion capacity (in the same timeframe as other widebody cargo capacity moves tracked by previous freighter expansion clusters).

Reported By

newsaero.info aerotelegraph.com ch-aviation