Astral Aviation has restarted its dedicated freighter service between Haikou in China and Johannesburg, adding twice-weekly scheduled air cargo capacity to the China-Africa trade lane.
The service was operated in partnership with Fly Noor Aviation Services using a Boeing 767-300 freighter with a payload capacity of 50 tonnes per flight, said Astral Aviation. Flights operate between Haikou and Johannesburg via the airline's Nairobi hub.
The route was initially launched in October 2025. The service had been restarted in response to growing demand for air cargo capacity between China and Africa and to support expanding trade between the two regions, said Astral Aviation.
The route will carry e-commerce shipments, electronics, consumer goods, textiles, automotive parts, pharmaceuticals and general cargo from China into Africa, according to Astral Aviation. Return capacity will support exports of perishables, agricultural products and other high-value commodities to Asian markets.
Johannesburg would serve as a gateway for the onward distribution of cargo to markets in Southern, Eastern and Central Africa through Astral Aviation's regional network, the airline said.
