Africa is leading the way in cargo drone development, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata).
The Kenyan government recently approved regulations for drones, with Kenyan cargo airline Astral Aviation planning to launch the first commercial cargo drone operation by the end of this year. Based in Nairobi and operating cargo flights in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, Astral Aviation has established Astral Aerial Solutions as a dedicated subsidiary to handle the Kenyan freight specialist’s expansion into the niche drone market in Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia. CEO Of Astral Aviation, Sanjeev Gadhia, said the drones would be used to transport mail and small parcels to mining and oil and gas companies.
The company plans to operate three drones of various sizes and capabilities initially. The first drone, FlyOx, can carry 2 000 kilograms of cargo and flies to a range of 1 300 kilometres. Iata head of cargo transportation, Celine Hourcade, said aid agencies currently used drones to deliver emergency medical supplies in various African countries.
“Unicef, in collaboration with the UPS Foundation, uses Zipline UAVs to transport vaccines, maternal medicines and blood samples in Malawi, Tanzania and Lesotho. In Lesotho, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) transports blood samples for faster analysis and diagnosis of HIV,” she explained, pointing out that Africa was currently leading the way in “exploiting and implementing the use of drones”. She added that pioneering the use of drones in Africa had not been “plain sailing” and that governments must address a lack of regulation, safety and security.
“There’s also training,” she said. “You need to have the right skills for people to operate and maintain drones.”Lack of regulation is not a problem peculiar to Africa, said Hourcade, adding that Iata was working with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao), air navigation service providers, and transport ministers all over the world to come up with the right regulatory framework.
“The objective is to do it efficiently and safely. We need to make sure that this new aviation venture is not causing any damage to traditional aviation,” she said.
The FlyOx drone can carry up to 2 000 kg of cargo.
