Drone Delivery Canada Corp (DDC) has received approval from Transport Canada for Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) flights in tandem with the transportation of dangerous goods for its Care by Air drone route. DDC says this marks a significant milestone in the development of its drone delivery capabilities in the healthcare market segment.
Transport Canada has approved DDC to conduct BVLOS flights in the Golden Horseshoe/Southern Ontario area while transporting Class 7 dangerous goods. This followed an audit of DDC’s procedures, practices and personnel by both the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and Transport Canada to ensure compliance with the strict safety requirements needed to both operate BVLOS flights and to transport medical radioisotopes.
With the BVLOS flight authorisation, DDC’s drones will be able to operate beyond the visual range of operators, expanding the reach and capabilities of their autonomous fleet, while achieving a significant improvement in operational efficiencies.
The Care by Air project is the DDC’s longest commercial route at 13.4 km. It involves the transportation of medical radioisotopes by drone and is the first such project in Canada. The Company has worked in collaboration with McMaster University, DSV Canada, Air Canada Cargo, Halton Healthcare and the Oakville Trafalgar Hospital. All operations will be conducted in accordance with the CNSC regulations, Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, the Canadian Aviation Regulations and Transport Canada’s special flight operations certificates.
DDC CEO Steve Magirias said: “We are extremely proud to have received these crucial approvals from Transport Canada for our Care by Air. “This is a significant achievement not only for our company but for the entire drone delivery sector. With BVLOS flights and dangerous goods transportation authorization, we can now take a giant leap forward in transforming the way healthcare supplies are transported, ensuring faster delivery times and enhancing overall patient care.” He added: “We believe that drone delivery has the potential to revolutionize the way we deliver essential goods and services, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this exciting industry.”
DDC’s advanced drone delivery platform uses a combination of proprietary software and cutting-edge hardware to ensure safe and efficient operations. The Company’s technology has numerous accolades and partnerships with leading organisations in the healthcare and logistics industries.
Image: DDC has received approval from Transport Canada to transport medical radioisotopes by drone in Southern Ontario (courtesy of Drone Delivery Canada)
