Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) in partnership with its sales agent Air Canada, has announced it will extend its drone delivery routes. This is a part of the second phase of a project being done at Edmonton International Airport.
The new agreement with the airport has a 12-month duration. “DDC will commence deployment of the site infrastructure shortly and expects to begin providing drone delivery services under the commercial agreements later in 2024.”
The agreement has a number of operation expansions:
- DDC will expand the route from YEG with an additional DroneSpot™ at a medical clinic located in the city of Leduc, Alberta.
- Cargo delivery will take place from YEG to the medical clinic while also maintaining the current delivery route from YEG to the off airport DroneSpot™ in Leduc County.
Drone Delivery Canada operations
DDC was founded in 2014 with the focus of designing, developing, and implementing commercially viable, drone-based logistics systems.
The company’s CEO Steve Magirias says: “This next phase will enable us to further expand our delivery capabilities, showcase our Canary RPA, and explore new use cases for RPA (robotic process automation) delivery within the YEG area.”
In October 2023, DDC announced that Halton Healthcare approved the use of drones to transport medical supplies. The drone link for this initiative is between Milton District Hospital and Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.
Fleet management
There are several reasons drones are being used for delivery. The standout has to be the speed of delivery. Drones fly above ground and are not restricted by traffic. Another factor is deliveries will not be hampered by the issue of labor shortages, and they may be in flight during a lunch hour when a person has to take breaks – the drone does not.
Drones are cost-effective. Imagine a courier fleet’s fuel bill at the end of each month. The drone does not travel on roads, so there is less wear and tear on the drone than a vehicle. Vehicles may also be stranded at a service center for a particular problem. Car repairs can be costly. In addition, drones do not emit toxic fumes. Drones are able to travel above rough terrain and provide an aerial route straight to the destination.
Drone delivery industry innovations
Locate2u News has been keeping a close watch on developments in the drone delivery space.
In October 2023, Amazon unveiled a new drone, the MK30, designed to deliver parcels within 60 minutes of placing an order. It will now be used to offer ultra-fast delivery of prescription medicines in Texas, US.
Companies like Dromatics are blazing a trail in the drone space. The world’s first drone cargo airline signed an agreement with Qatar Airways. The agreement will allow both parties to extend their delivery networks.
The drone package delivery market is set for excellent growth according to Markets and Markets. A report estimates growth in the next six years to be at an annual compounded annual growth rate of 49%.
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About the author
Sharl is a qualified journalist. He has over 10 years’ experience in the media industry, including positions as an editor of a magazine and Business Editor of a daily newspaper. Sharl also has experience in logistics specifically operations, where he worked with global food aid organisations distributing food into Africa. Sharl enjoys writing business stories and human interest pieces.
