Reliable Robotics, a developer of autonomous aircraft systems and Kenya-based airline Astral Aviation, have announced a strategic partnership with the goal of improving aviation safety and increasing air cargo connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa using automated aircraft.
Limited intra-African air services represent a challenge to trade and economic growth. With this in mind, the companies wanted to collaborate on strategies for the implementation of automated aircraft operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
“We are preparing for explosive growth in regional trade and the need to transport significantly more air cargo across Africa,” said Sanjeev Gadhia, founder and CEO at Astral Aviation.
“Automation will enable us to serve more routes.
“We look forward to working with Reliable to safely transport larger payloads over longer distances at lower cost with remotely operated aircraft.”
Reliable Robotics is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify its automation system on the Cessna 208 Caravan and to initiate commercial cargo operations in the US.
The collaboration with Astral Aviation is intended to support international expansion into Africa, where nearly 350 of the aircraft currently operating across the continent.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is growing at four percent, with the two companies seeing expansion of the air cargo network as critical to GDP and e-commerce growth.
The two companies cite research from the International Trade Administration at U.S. Department of Commerce, which highlights the continent’s landlocked countries, busy ports, poor road networks, sparse transportation infrastructure and an average distance of 4,100km (2,548 miles) between major cities.
Reliable claims to have reached aviation milestones in its Northern California operations, while Astral Aviation is reportedly the fastest growing all-cargo Airline in Africa.
