Page 62 - World Airnews Magazine February Edition 2021

NEWS DIGITAL

ASTRAL OPENS CARGO HUBS

operate two flights to Dubai carrier operates. International Airport with plans
every week ferrying horticultur- Dubai and China are major to increase the frequency on
Africa’s only cargo airline, al produce and meat products. destinations for Kenyans in the route basing on demand.
Astral Aviation is opening On the way back, the carrier terms of imports as a lot of Cargo remains the only
new hubs in China and United will ship in electronic goods local business people bring in business in aviation that was
Arabs Emirates as the carrier with one flight destined to their merchandise from these not hit hard by the Covid-19
expand its stations beyond the Nairobi while the other one will two countries. pandemic across the world.
Kenya Airways started
continent. go to Eldoret. flying to Sharjah from Moi IATA has reported that
Kenyan-based Astral Aviation, Gadhia said of the goods International Airport in African airlines saw cargo
which recently launched its coming to Kenya from the Mombasa last year mainly demand shrink by 1.7 percent
largest capacity aircraft Boeing Sharjah hub, only 20 percent ferrying fish to the UAE. year-on-year in November,
767, finalised plans to open a will remain in Kenya while the reversing three months of
hub in Sharjah, which is due rest will be distributed to other The carrier started with two positive year-on-year growth.
to be in operation this month regional countries where the weekly flights at the Sharjah Q
while the one in Guangzhou,
China will be commissioned mid
this year.
Airline chief executive officer
Sanjeev Gadhia said they signed
the agreement with UAE in
December in the region where
the carrier has planned to
use this base to distribute
cargo from Kenya to other
middle-eastern countries.
“We are opening new hubs
to help boost our networks in
different regions in the world,”
said Gadhia.
The airline, he said, will

NEWS DIGITAL

MIDDLE EAST AIR TRANSPORT

JOBS PROTECTED

reduce unemployment in the Kingdom to Ibrahim Al-Omar, director general of
seven percent, as per the objectives of the Saudia airline, said the agreement would
The Saudi Arabia General Authority Vision 2030 reform plan. enhance the efficiency of technical training
of Civil Aviati-on (GACA) has launched All airlines, maintenance and operation at the carrier.
Unemployment reached its highest
an initiative to localise jobs in the air contractors, as well as service providers level in the second quarter of 2020 - 15.4
in all airports across the country, were
transport sector. directed to begin implementing the percent. The General Authority for
The initiative, announced in a statement initiative. Statistics also reported that the jobless rate
on Twitter, aims to localise 10,000 jobs in GACA has designated a team to monitor among Saudi women reached 31.4 percent.
28 specialised professions across the sector and follow up on the initiative’s implemen- The total labour force consists of
by 2023. tation on a monthly basis, prepare reports 3.1 million citizens and 10.5 million
It comes as a product of GACA’s co-oper- and refer them to the authority. non-Saudis. The strategy of nationalising
ation with the ministry of human resources The news comes as Saudia Aerospace jobs is therefore crucial in reducing Saudi
and social development. engineering industries and the Prince unemployment.
Targeted jobs include pilots, co-pilots, Sultan aviation academy announced the In 2018, the ministry of labour and social
runway and ground services coordinators, signing of a joint co-operation training development issued a decision to replace
flight directors, flight attendants, air traffic agreement with the US Spartan College of expatriate workers with Saudis in 12 key
controllers, supervisors, some maintenance aeronautics and technology. economic activities.
technicians, aircraft catering, passenger The aim is to exchange training Last year the Kingdom announced its
handlers, cargo and others. experiences, qualify national cadres and plans to nationalise 20 percent of engineer-
This step comes as part of efforts to enhance the quality of training in aircraft ing jobs and 30 percent of accounting jobs.
enhance the aviation sector further and maintenance. Q

World Airnews | February Extra 2021
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