This archive report was first published on 30 August 2019.
Astral Aviation, a Kenyan aviation solutions firm, has partnered with Japanese drone manufacturer Yamaha Motor Company to provide last mile air cargo delivery and crop spraying solutions in Kenya.
The partnership was announced at the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) in Yokohama, Japan, where President Uhuru Kenyatta was in attendance.
According to Astral Aviation CEO Sanjeev Gadhia, the partnership will see the introduction of the Yamaha FAZER R G2 automated navigation unmanned aircraft, a high-end model developed for the industrial sector.
The FAZER R G2 drone model has a maximum payload of 35kg, a maximum altitude of 2,800m, and a cruising range of 90km, making it an ideal solution for agricultural production services such as crop spraying, remote deliveries, and overhead structural and civil engineering inspection functions.
Speaking at the conference, Gadhia said, "At Astral Aerial Solutions, our mission is to create a drone-revolution in Africa by adopting technology and innovation to solve Africa's problem so that it can leapfrog to the future. Our association with Yamaha will provide us with the necessary impetus to scale our delivery capacity in the agricultural and civil engineering fields."
The partnership is expected to enhance Kenya-Japan Bilateral relations and foster economic transformation and improvements in business environment and institution through private investment and innovation.
First held in 1993, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) is hosted by the Japanese Government in conjunction with the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, the African Union Commission, and the World Bank.
