Astra Aviation granted Mozambique and Guinea licences to operate

The licence was issued by the Mozambican Civil Aviation Institute (IACM), the country’s recognised Civil Aviation Authority, and is effective immediately. 

To achieve the licence the Astra operations manager in Mozambique, Dulce Santos worked with the IACM to write a comprehensive ground operations manual that met the rigorous requirements of the IACM. The process included formulating the new manual, full office inspections, and a comprehensive review of staff training records, to ensure Astra met with the high levels required. 

With the new licence in place Astra Aviation can now bring “in-house” services that it previously had to sub-contract. Airside identity passes will be available to the Astra team members enabling the company to have a higher degree of control over the service levels it provides.  Astra customers will benefit from being able to work with English and Portuguese speakers; in addition Astra will be able to support its clients invoice payments through provision of local currency transaction facilities. 

Phil Eyre managing director of Astra Aviation said: “Fees and charges in Mozambique can be complex and high, particularly for the freight operators. We are aiming to help them demystify the charges and make their operations less complicated with our local dedicated knowledge and experience.” 

Conarky, Guinea Licence also renewed 

Astra Aviation has also been granted a renewal of its operating licence to continue working as a flight support company at Conarky International Airport (Gbessia International Airport) in the North West African country of Guinea. Astra gained its original licence in 2013 which gives it approval to supply ground handling services across the aviation spectrum. Astra’s current scope of work involves handling Heads of State and government charter activity. It also continues to support freight operators assisting the aid effort to counter the issues associated with Ebola. 

“Conarky is often regarded as a high cost destination with a complicated airport fee structure. For foreign aircraft operators it is a real advantage to have on the ground, local, expertise that can provide reliable advice about fees and infrastructure changes. Ebola took its toll on the economy so with reduced business opportunities those that do fly in must ensure they seek advice on all aspects of their operations. We really can support our customers from first-hand experience and that’s invaluable to them,” said Eyre. 

The new and renewed licences enable clients to maximize the extended resources that Astra offers across its network of national offices in Nigeria, Angola, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia, in addition to the support of its partners or associates in every African country. 

“In ten years we’ve built a strong network across the continent for cargo, commercial and business aviation. Looking to the future we plan to add more licences to the mix to ensure an even more efficient service for our clients,” said Eyre.