TAAG tests East African cargo market with scheduled freighter service to Nairobi

April 30, 2025 in Business, Companies, Trade & Industry, Transport by Editor

For several years reticent about the East African market, TAAG Angola Airlines has launched its first dedicated cargo route to Nairobi, a strategic move that marks the airline’s deeper push into East Africa and signals its ambition to become a key player in the region’s growing airfreight market.

The inaugural Luanda–Nairobi (LAD–NBO) freighter flight took off on Wednesday, 30 April, with the weekly service set to continue every Wednesday. The route will prioritize the transport of Kenyan flowers — one of the country’s top exports — and is projected to move between 1 and 2 million kilograms of cargo annually, with each flight offering a capacity of 18,000 kg.

TAAG’s Director of Cargo and Mail, David Ambridge, said the Nairobi route reflects the airline’s long-term strategy to build a robust cargo network across Africa, while facilitating trade between East, Southern, and global markets.

“From Nairobi, we hope to transport a large quantity of flowers and other perishables to Angola and the destinations served by TAAG,” said Ambridge. “This route will create new trade opportunities and strengthen our cargo network on the continent.”

The Nairobi service is part of TAAG’s wider effort to establish the Kenyan capital as a key hub in East Africa. The airline is positioning Nairobi as a connecting point between Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and India — leveraging Kenya’s export strength and TAAG’s central hub in Luanda to offer Kenyan flower exporters an additional route to European markets.

The strategy aligns with growing interest among African carriers to regionalize their operations, reduce dependence on foreign cargo networks, and capitalize on intra-African trade opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

To ensure a seamless operation, TAAG has partnered with established cargo operators at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, including Aerospeed Express, Mitchell Cotts, and Tradewinds. These partners bring extensive infrastructure, expertise, and agent networks essential for efficient handling and distribution.

In addition, TAAG has initiated meetings between Kenyan flower exporters and Angolan importers to foster direct trade relationships and encourage cross-border business. This effort is expected to lower logistics costs, reduce transit times, and open new commercial channels for SMEs on both sides.

The Nairobi launch is also a key pillar in Angola’s vision to transform Luanda into a regional air logistics hub. With the modern Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport offering an annual capacity of 120,000 tons, TAAG is seeking to turn Angola into a central cargo transit point for Southern and Central Africa.

This latest route adds to TAAG’s growing cargo ambitions, with plans underway to expand services to other strategic African cities, including Libreville, Kinshasa, Harare, Lusaka, and Accra later in 2025. It comes a week after TAAG entered a strategic cargo partnership with Latin American carrier Avianca under which both airlines will open their respective hinterlands to each other.

By connecting high-value export markets like Kenya with consumer and transit markets in Angola and beyond, TAAG is not only enhancing its own competitiveness but also it is also supporting Africa’s economic integration through air transport.