Sanjeev Gadhia (Past Speaker)

Sanjeev S 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 seven cargo aircrafts into Europe and within Africa.

Operating one of the most successful airlines in Africa for 18 years, Sanjeev is responsible for the overall management, network planning and fleet acquisition for Astral Aviation, along with its Pan African expansion strategy, which entails two new cargo hubs in West and Southern Africa, including diversification into Logistics, Airport Infrastructure, Executive Jets and Unmanned Cargo Aircrafts. 

Sanjeev is rated as a “New Generation Leader for Africa” by the prestigious African Leadership Network, while Astral has been rated as the best all-cargo carrier in Africa in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2018. In 2017, Astral Aerial (UAV subsidiary of Astral Aviation) won the prestigious IATA Cargo Innovation Award for its UTM (UAV Traffic Management) innovation for Africa.

In September 2016, Sanjeev was appointed Vice Chairman of AFRAA’s (African Airlines Association) Cargo Committee based on his extensive experience in the aircargo sector in Africa. In October 2017, Sanjeev became the first Director from Africa to sit on TIACA (The International Air Cargo Association)

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) and YPO (Young Professional’s Organization)

Sanjeev is a Kenyan citizen and is married with 2 children.