DUBAI unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) company Falcon Drones Technology and Nairobi-based cargo carrier Astral Aviation agreed that the airline will purchase two of Falcon's Lucas-F250 drones with an option to purchase another 10 next year.
The drones have an endurance of 10 hours, a range 1,500 kilometres, a cruising speed of 150 kilometres per hour and a cargo capacity of 250 kilogrammes, reports New York's Air Cargo World.
Astral, which has a small fleet of 737-400Fs and 747-400Fs, operates air cargo services in Sudan, Tanzania, Somalia and Rwanda, connecting to European hubs Liege and London Stansted that import perishables products like flowers from East Africa.
The implementation of drones into Astral's network could promote regional connectivity for the transportation of smaller amounts of cargo short distances and fulfill a need for last-mile services, the carrier said after the deal was made at the Farnborough Airshow.
'The Falcon Drones technology is truly groundbreaking,' said Astral Aviation CEO Sanjeev Gadhia. 'It brings with it the exciting prospect of further expansion in the wider East Africa region.'
The drones have an endurance of 10 hours, a range 1,500 kilometres, a cruising speed of 150 kilometres per hour and a cargo capacity of 250 kilogrammes, reports New York's Air Cargo World.
Astral, which has a small fleet of 737-400Fs and 747-400Fs, operates air cargo services in Sudan, Tanzania, Somalia and Rwanda, connecting to European hubs Liege and London Stansted that import perishables products like flowers from East Africa.
The implementation of drones into Astral's network could promote regional connectivity for the transportation of smaller amounts of cargo short distances and fulfill a need for last-mile services, the carrier said after the deal was made at the Farnborough Airshow.
'The Falcon Drones technology is truly groundbreaking,' said Astral Aviation CEO Sanjeev Gadhia. 'It brings with it the exciting prospect of further expansion in the wider East Africa region.'