Sanjeev Gadhia is the Founder and CEO of Astral Aviation Ltd. which is a dedicated all- cargo airline based in Nairobi, Kenya and operates a fleet of 14 cargo aircraft to and from Africa into Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He is also the Founder of Astral Aerial Solutions Ltd., a commercial drone operator.

Operating one of the most successful airlines in Africa for 22 years, he is responsible for strategic management and fleet acquisition, along with the implementation of our Pan African expansion strategy, which entails two new cargo hubs in West and Southern Africa, including diversification into Airport Infrastructure, Executive Jets and Unmanned Cargo Aircraft.

He was appointed Vice Chairman of AFRAA’s Cargo Committee in 2016 and was elevated as Chairman of the Cargo and Route Network Committee in November 2020.

In 2017, Sanjeev joined the Board of TIACA (The International Air Cargo Association), the first member from Africa. In 2019, he was appointed Vice Chairman of TIACA, a position he serves to date.

Under Sanjeev’s leadership, Astral Aviation has been rated as the best all-cargo carrier in Africa in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 & 2019. In 2017, Astral Aerial won the prestigious‘ IATA Cargo Innovation Award for its UTM’(UAV Traffic Management) innovation for Africa.

In 2019, Astral Aerial was rated as ‘Africa’s Top 10 Tech Startups’ and selected by Airbus to participate in Bizlab #Africa4Future accelerator program. In April of the same year, Astral Aerial was recognized by World Bank as the Winner – Data Analytics of its Disruptive Agricultural Technology challenge.

A banker by profession, Sanjeev has a master’s degree in business administration from the Schiller International University in London, in addition to being a member of EO (Entrepreneurs Organization). Sanjeev is a Kenyan citizen and is married with two children.