Silk Way West Airlines has signed an interline agreement with Kenya’s Astral Aviation. The agreement is to provide cross-selling benefits for both sides by using the wide network of flights to and from Africa. Al Maktoum International Airport in the UAE, also known as Dubai World Central (DWC), will function as the key transit point.

Silk Way West Airlines will carry shipments from its network to Dubai, handing over to Astral Aviation’s flight to Nairobi, where shipments will connect to its network. The opposite will occur with Astral Aviation’s network via its base in Nairobi, allowing its flights across the African continent to successfully connect with the Silk Way West Airlines network.

The agreement will allow Silk Way West to broaden its network across Africa, since the carrier previously had no scheduled services within the continent. Subsequently, the networks of both carriers will be in a position to complement each other, as there is a number of markets where the airlines do not overlap.

“This is another success for us, having such a large network across the African continent. The benefits of this interline agreement are of great interest. In cooperation with Astral Aviation, we have expanded our footprint into Africa”, said Silk Way West Airlines’ chief commercial officer for ISMEA, Johnny Rubio.

According to Astral Aviation CEO Sanjeev Gadhia, the Kenyan carrier is honoured to enter an interline agreement with Silk Way West Airlines, which will enable it to reciprocate with cargos originating from its African network to connect to Silk Way West Airlines’ destinations.

“We will continue to forge new alliances and partnerships during the pandemic in line with our philosophy of promoting cooperation and collaboration with airlines and all members of the supply chain, as this will enable our respective clients to benefit with better options and connectivity from our respective networks”, commented Gadhia.

In June, Baku-based Silk Way West Airlines was awarded Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification. To further improve the company’s capacity in reliably handling time and temperature-sensitive cargo, the carrier successfully completed an in-depth GDP audit by Global Cold Chain Consultants, described as “a trusted external party with a strong track record in the pharmaceutical industry”.