Air Astral on humanitarian flights to Africa

When the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo prompted the World Health Organization to mobilize supplies, Astral Airlines was called upon to deliver supplies. The mission emphasized the critical role of air cargo in responding to crises and disruptions by operators in Africa.

“Speed ​​was the biggest challenge,” recalls Anthony Mwangi, director of charter flights at Astral Aviation. “The first request was for Chikaba (Kasai Province), but this airport was not suitable for our cargo ships. We explored Kananga Airport as an alternative, but again, it was not a solution for the team on the ground, because the road network was not good. We finally settled on Kinshasa (FIH). It was all done in a few hours because the mission was sensitive.”

Conducting humanitarian flights to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is never easy, but the Ebola virus emergency has made it especially difficult. “As it was Friday afternoon, speed was of the essence, as we had other logistics that had to be done quickly, such as processing goods through customs in Nairobi, obtaining the necessary flights and flight permits, etc. Getting permits to the DRC is usually very slow, but the combined efforts of our operations and WHO staff ensured a record achievement at this time.

Speed ​​saved lives, but it also exposed structural weaknesses. Permits, which normally take days, were obtained in hours only through intense cooperation. For Mwangi, the lesson is clear: preparation is essential.

Special handling requirements

Humanitarian flights are not just about the rapid transportation of cargo. Shipping itself—personal protective equipment, medical supplies and vaccines—brings its own complications. “Some may require more rigorous handling than most relief supplies and may be prepackaged in aseptic conditions and require expert ground handling to ensure safe transport on board, temperature control, etc. In some cases, the safety of not only ground staff, but also the crew, is critical during such shipments.”

These requirements put pressure on operators working in harsh environments. Astral has developed procedures for years of travel across Africa, but the risks are still high.

Astral’s long-standing partnership with the World Health Organization was instrumental in making the trip possible. “Being ready at very short notice is key. At Astral Aviation, we have a long-standing relationship and close relationship with the World Health Organization. We are able to identify and plug gaps that prevent rapid flight operations when needed.”

For Mwangi, one lesson points out: “Pre-clearance and pre-clearance at customs saves important time and helps enable faster flight operations when needed. Their local teams also need to engage their governments to get relief from lengthy bureaucratic processes to obtain clearance.”

However, coordination across the wider humanitarian system remains less than desirable. “Information sharing remains the biggest gap. There is a need for other humanitarian organizations responding to similar emergencies to be able to take a closer look, as sometimes there are duplicate or underutilized flights that may be heading to the same destination.”

This is a problem that wastes scarce resources. As climate change and the urgency of conflict worsen, replication has become a luxury the sector cannot afford.

Capacity and operating model
Star carries between 1,000 and 3,000 tons of human cargo each year, depending on the level of the crisis. “These crises are different because some years may witness many large-scale emergencies such as floods, droughts or diseases, while others are relatively stable. Our planning focuses on flexibility and we ensure that we work with other partners in different capacity carriers such as B737-400F, B767-200F, B767-200F, B767-300F. do The fleet does not overload, but we maintain an open charter schedule as well as being trained to accommodate rapid deployments when needed.

Flexibility enhances the balance of business and humanitarian work. “We don’t necessarily maintain specific aircraft, but maintain an open and flexible schedule. For example, we can increase or decrease our scheduled services on a specific aircraft to free up availability for a specific time-critical mission. This ensures that our schedule and charter customers are served accordingly.”

Technology is playing an increasing role in Astral’s operations. “We have digital cargo platforms, flight planning tools, etc. that help reduce response times by simplifying documentation and coordination. Humanitarian flights often go into harsh environments where flexibility and toughness are more important than the latest aircraft.”

The airline is also investing in fleet renewal. “However, we are in an ongoing fleet modernization program, one example of which is our newly acquired B767-300F, which offers long-haul with high payloads at an affordable price.”

Regarding sustainability, progress is slow. “Alternative fuels are promising, but their availability in Africa is still limited. Through our sister company – Astral Ariel, we are already providing the finishing touches to reach remote and hard-to-reach places using drones.”

Pan African Shipping System
For Mwangi, one of the biggest opportunities lies in the creation of a common African shipping community system. “This is one of the major missing links and we fully support it. It will significantly reduce duplication and allow for improved capabilities and overall reduced response time.”

The system will allow operators and aid agencies to match capacity with demand – a key step in reducing delays and waste.

Astral ambitions extend beyond individual missions. “Our role remains as a trusted partner with humanitarian organizations and logistics agencies. We envision helping to provide a rapid response at scale, so that aid in the next crisis does not have to wait for help from outside the continent.”

For an airline that has built its identity on serving Africa, the goal is clear: to ensure that the continent is resilient to disasters.

The Ebola mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo showed what can be achieved when speed, cooperation and experience are matched. But it also highlighted the gaps that hinder humanitarian airlift: slow permits, poor information sharing, and limited infrastructure. Astral Aviation doesn’t mind these challenges. Its strategy is to remain agile, invest in practical innovation and drive broad collaboration across the sector.