THUNDER BAY -- A company working to commercialize the delivery of cargo via drones in northern Ontario and elsewhere has announced what it's describing as a major achievement.
Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) says it is the first in the country to successfully achieve Beyond Visual Line of Sight test flights.
The tests were conducted recently in Alberta after DDC received a special operating certificate from Transport Canada.
During the flights, the company's control centre in Toronto successfully monitored and recorded telemetry in real time from a distance of 2,500 kilometres.
In a news release issued on Tuesday, DDC said the technical capability of its drone logistics platform has passed "the most important landmark" which enables the platform to run commercially.
It said next steps including expansion of testing with both new and existing clients including large corporations and government organizations in Canada and abroad.
CEO Toni Di Benedetto said, "Given Canada's geography and some of the obvious and social opportunities in northern Canada, we believe the best place to start commercializing this platform is in our own back yard, then internationally."
DDC previously announced an agreement with an aboriginal socioeconomic development organization, The Pontiac Group, to develop a pilot drone delivery project on northern Ontario's James Bay coast.
The plan includes delivering essential goods between the mainland community of Moosonee and a First Nations community on Moose Factory Island.
The company has identified Thunder Bay as one of the potential hubs for future operations.
