ASTRAL Aerial Solutions has entered into a deal with Japanese drone manufacturer Yamaha Motor Company to offer last mile air cargo delivery and crop spraying solutions in Kenya, reported the American Journal of Transportation.

The deal, sealed at the seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7), will see Astral Aerial Solutions providing market entry support for the new Yamaha FAZER R G2 automated navigation unmanned aircraft, a high-end model developed for the industrial sector.



Astral Aerial Solutions is a drone start-up that seeks to provide drone services in Africa for a variety of sectors including humanitarian cargo air transport, medical deliveries, aerial mapping and imagery, aerial surveillance and security, agriculture, oil and gas services, and emergency response.



Astral Aerial CEO Sanjeev Gadhia said the firm will promote the use of the drones in the Kenya market for agricultural production services such as crop spraying, remote deliveries and overhead structural and civil engineering inspection functions.



'Our association with Yamaha will provide us with the necessary impetus to scale our delivery capacity in the agricultural and civil engineering fields as the FAZER range of drones enjoy unrivalled and proven reputation in agricultural performance; a testament to Yamaha's commitment to remotely piloted helicopters and precision agriculture solutions,' Mr Gadhia was quoted as saying.



In Kenya, Astral Aerial Solutions, will be introducing the FAZER R G2 drone model, which is a commercial drone for automated flight to uninhabited areas out of visual range, and delivers excellent performance through its maximum payload of 35 kilogrammes, maximum altitude of 2,800 metres, and cruising range of 90 kilometres.



Last year, Yamaha Motor Corp USA received an exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration (F) to begin using its FAZER remotely piloted helicopter for select commercial agricultural spraying operations.



Yamaha already provides direct services for fungicide aerial application on wine grapes in California's Napa Valley and is now planning to introduce the FAZER into operation starting in June.


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