When the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo prompted the World Health Organization to mobilize supplies, Astral Airlines was called in to deliver supplies. The mission stressed the crucial role of air cargo in responding to the crises and obstacles faced by operators in Africa.
“Speed was the biggest challenge,” recalls Anthony Mwangi, director of charter flights at Astral Aviation. “The initial 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, this was not a solution for the team on the ground, as the road network is not good. We finally settled on Kinshasa (FIH). All this was done within a very few hours as the mission was time-sensitive.”
Carrying out a humanitarian flight to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is never easy, but the urgency of the Ebola virus made this task particularly difficult. “As it was Friday afternoon, speed was of the essence, as we had other logistics that needed to be done in a hurry, such as processing the goods through customs in Nairobi, obtaining the necessary flight and landing permits etc. Obtaining permits to the DRC is usually very slow, but the combined efforts of our operations and WHO staff ensured this was achieved in record time.”
The speed saved lives, but it also highlighted structural weaknesses. Permits, which usually take days, were obtained in hours only through intense cooperation. For Mwangi, the lesson is clear: preparedness is essential.
Special handling requirements
Humanitarian flights are not just about transporting cargo quickly. The shipment itself — personal protective equipment, medical supplies and vaccines — brings its own complications. “Some may require more stringent handling than most relief items and may come pre-packed in aseptic conditions and need specialist ground handling to ensure safe transport on pallets, temperature control if necessary etc. In some cases, safety, not only of ground staff, but also of the crew, is important when handling these types of shipments.”
These requirements place stresses on operators working in harsh environments. Astral has built procedures over years of expeditions across Africa, but the risks remain high.
Astral’s long-standing partnership with the World Health Organization was instrumental in making the trip possible. “Being prepared at very short notice is key. At Astral Aviation we have a long-standing relationship and maintain close contact with the World Health Organization. We are able to identify and plug gaps that may hinder rapid aviation activation, when necessary.”
For Mwangi, one lesson stands out: “Pre-clearance and pre-clearance at customs save critical time and help activate a flight quickly when needed. Their local teams may also need to engage their governments to obtain exemptions from lengthy bureaucratic processes to obtain clearances.”
However, coordination across the broader humanitarian system remains less than desirable. “Information sharing remains the biggest gap. There is a need for other humanitarian organizations responding to the same emergency to be able to check more closely, because sometimes there is duplication or underutilization of flights that may be heading towards the same location.”
It is a problem that wastes scarce resources. As climate change and conflict emergencies worsen, duplication has become a luxury the sector cannot afford.
Capacity and operational model
Astral transports between 1,000 and 3,000 tons of humanitarian goods per year, depending on the scale of the crises. “These crises vary as some years may witness multiple large-scale emergencies such as floods, droughts or epidemics, while others are relatively stable. Our planning focuses on being flexible and we have different capacity freighters such as B737-400F, B767-200F, B767-300F and others within our partners’ framework. Furthermore, we ensure that we do not overload Fleet, but we keep the schedule open charters. Our staff is also trained to adapt to rapid deployment when needed.
Flexibility extends to balancing business and humanitarian work. “We do not necessarily protect specific aircraft, but rather maintain an open and flexible schedule. For example, we may upgrade or downgrade our scheduled services on a particular aircraft, to free up availability for a specific time-critical mission. This ensures our scheduled and charter customers are served accordingly.”
Technology plays an increasing role in Astral’s operations. “We have digital cargo platforms, flight planning tools, etc. that help us reduce response times by simplifying documentation and coordination. Humanitarian flights often go into harsh environments where flexibility and ruggedness are more important than having the latest aircraft.”
The airline is also investing in fleet renewal. “However, we are in an ongoing fleet modernization program, an example of which is our newly acquired B767-300F, which offers longer range with higher payloads at a cheaper price.”
Regarding sustainability, progress is slower. “Alternative fuels are promising, but their availability in Africa is still limited. Through our sister company – Astral Aerial, we are already providing end-to-end delivery using drones, to remote and hard-to-reach destinations.”
Pan Africa shipping system
For Mwangi, one of the biggest opportunities lies in creating a common African shipping community system. “This is one of the biggest missing links and we fully support it. This will significantly reduce duplication and allow for improved capabilities and reduced response times overall.”
This system would allow operators and relief agencies to better match capacity to demand – a crucial step in reducing delays and waste.
Astral’s ambitions extend beyond individual missions. “Our role remains to be a trusted partner with humanitarian organizations and logistics agencies. We envision helping to provide a rapid response at scale, so that relief does not necessarily have to wait for aid from outside the continent when the next crisis strikes.”
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 demonstrated what can be achieved when speed, collaboration and experience align. But it also revealed the gaps that continue to hinder humanitarian air shipping: slow permits, poor information-sharing, and limited infrastructure. Astral Aviation has no illusions about these challenges. Its strategy is to remain agile, invest in practical innovation and drive greater collaboration across the sector.
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