Astral Aerial and Partners begin Drone Delivery Demonstrations in Kenya!

• Drone delivery is set to hit the Kenyan market before the end of the year starting with last mile delivery in the medical industry/sector. 
• Astral Aerial and international partners Swoop Aero and Skyports form the Kenyan delivery dream team. 
• KCAA works in tandem with drone organisations to ensure safe drone operations.  

Astral Aerial Solutions a Kenyan based drone operator that was initially founded on the principle of supporting Astral Aviation, the affiliate cargo airline operator, with last mile delivery in hard to reach regions and areas in Kenya has officially kicked off its last mile delivery campaign at Tilisi Developments PLC. 

The ROC 001 holder (First drone operating certification), Astral Aerial Solutions has partnered with two international companies, Swoop Aero and Skyports to advance its last mile drone service and avail a supplementary transportation service across various industries. Astral Aerial already provides agricultural spraying, mapping, inspections and surveying with drones, and has now entered the market with a completely visionary service.

Swoop Aero, a global drone logistics manufacturer and operator deploying an integrated logistics network n Australian based drone medical delivery services provider, Skyports, a global drone services operator, and Astral Aerial Solutions have pieced together the perfect team and service product to officially kick off Kenya's drone delivery industry. 

How will it work? 

The Swoop Aero cargo delivery platform shall be implemented to transport medicines, vaccines, and medical samples from healthcare facilities to clinics and/or patients in need. The drone has a 4.7kg payload capability, as well as cold chain enabled delivery, making it suitable for the transportation of a variety of medical products. The platform has a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) design and has a range of 175 km, travelling at a speed of 200 km/hr. Making it fit for accessing remote locations with minimal space requirements. This is typically the case for most healthcare institutions. Upon delivery, and cargo offload, the drone can then be sent back to the control hub by a simple press of a button to launch its return flight. Therefore, medical practitioners can easily integrate the delivery system into their workflow with minimal upskilling requirements. 

Astral Aerial will be providing the last mile delivery service off the Swoop Aero platform in partnership with Skyports. 

Astral Aerial Solutions has successfully coordinated with the national airspace regulator (KCAA), to ensure that the operations are in line with the Kenyan RPAS regulations and that they meet safety and security standards. The operator is also proud to be the first drone operator to secure Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight and operation demonstration approvals!

The End Game?

Despite the initial service provision being centred around last mile delivery in the health sector, Astral Aerial aims to provide delivery solutions across every imaginable industry including e-commerce. So the next time you receive a package from a rider or driver, imagine in the not so distant future, receiving your packages via drones!