El Al Airlines has signed a cargo cooperation agreement with Bamboo Airways from Vietnam and Astral Aviation from Kenya. Astral is a cargo company that operates throughout Africa using 4 cargo planes, of which 2 are leased jumbo planes. Bembo Airlines flies from Vietnam to the Far East and London, and operates 29 passenger planes. Vietnam’s ambassador to Israel, Lee Duc Trung, is actively working for the company to add a direct line to Benghazi.El Al was recently equipped with a model 800 cargo plane that was converted from a passenger plane, and the new agreements will allow the company to expand the network of routes through which cargo can be imported and exported to and from Israel.
The cargo will be flown not only in dedicated cargo planes but also in the belly of passenger planes. As El Al expands its flight routes in the world, so does the ability to fly cargo. For example, with the start of the direct flights to New Delhi and the renewal of the line to Mumbai in October 2023, it will also be possible to expand cargo flights to India, with which Israel maintains extensive trade relations.
In the photo above, from right to left: Grand Van Vian, the director of the cargo division of Bamboo Airways Cargo, Nguyen Thuy Anh, the Vietnamese ambassador to Israel, Ly Duc Trung, and the director of the cargo division of El Al, Ronan Shapira.
Vietnam’s ambassador to Israel, Lee Duc Trung, said at the signing ceremony: “I am happy to congratulate the airlines El Al and Bamboo Airways. It is hoped that more products and goods from both countries will be continuously exchanged with the help of this cooperation. This will also be in line with the conclusion of the negotiations on The Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement FTA. The sooner the free trade agreement enters into force, the better for all of us. The exchange of goods will surely lead to greater exchanges of people and ideas and opportunities for investment. The ambassador concluded his remarks with a greeting in Hebrew: “Congratulations!”
Ronan Shapira says: “The new agreements that were signed are part of the strategic plan, which will make it possible to turn Israel into a HUB that connects Israel to various destinations in the world, including destinations to which we do not operate direct flights. The agreements join existing agreements of the cargo division with other international airlines, including Etihad Airways, Latam, Air China, Thai Cargo, Ethiopian Airlines, Pegasus, Japan Airlines and others. With the opening of the direct flights from Tel Aviv to Tokyo, we also signed an agreement with the Japanese airline ANA. The new agreement allows Al for the first time diverse distribution points and many in Africa through the Astral company, which specializes in flying cargo. With the Bembo airline, which is a commercial airline, we are working on additional plans with the aim of deepening and expanding the cooperation between the companies. We look to the long term with the understanding that it is necessary to prepare for new markets that will arise in accordance with the changes in the worlds of industry and commerce, Changes that also put Vietnam on the map with a massive transfer of production from China to it.”
