Chinese drone manufacturer DJI and drone logistics company Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) both used January 9th, 2019 media releases to advocate their support of Transport Canada’s new drone regulations.
According to DJI’s vice president of policy and legal affairs Brendan Schulman, the new rules “strikes a sensible balance between protecting public safety and bringing the benefits of drone technology to Canadian businesses and the public at large.”
Schulman added that some of Transport Canada’s rules are “particularly innovative,” specifically addressing the new requirement that drone pilots pass an online test to earn an operator’s license.
“The vast majority of drone pilots fly safely and responsibly, and governments, aviation authorities and drone manufacturers agree we need to work together to ensure that all drone pilots know basic safety rules,” said Schulman, in the same January 9th media release.
DJI added that it will examine the details of the new Safety Assured Flight Envelope (SAFE) system, to determine which of its drones are appropriate for “advanced operations.”
“DJI will be examining the details of the SAFE system with the goal of participating in it, to continue to provide leading products for our commercial and enterprise customers in Canada,” reads an excerpt from the same media document.
DDC also said it supports the new rules, but added that the rules might not apply to the company’s ‘Beyond Visual Line-of-Site’ (BVLOS) projects.
“Ultimately, they will allow more flexibility in our current operations, while indirectly supporting DDC ability to accelerate towards the commercialization of its Drone Delivery Services in Canada,” said Mark Wuennenberg, vice president of regulatory affairs for Drone Delivery Canada, in a separate January 9th media release.
As their name might imply, DDC uses drones to carry out package deliveries in rural and remote regions.
In December 2018, DDC signed a $2.5 million deal with the Moose Cree First Nations communities in Ontario to use drones to ship packages in the region.
Minister of Transport Marc Garneau used a January 9th, 2019 media event to announce Transport Canada’s new drone rules.
In addition to needing to pass an online test, drone pilots performing basic operations must meet a minimum age requirement of 14, while advanced operations require drone pilots to be at least 16-years-old.
The new drone rules are set to come into effect on June 1st, 2019.
Source: DJI, Drone Delivery Canada
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