Regulatory advancements in the drone industry in Canada in 2019 were tremendous. During this past year, the revised VLOS regulations were announced and came into force (found here). Risk-based regulatory requirements and a clear framework for operations provide greater certainty for investment in this developing industry and increase safety. Additionally, several beyond visual line of sight (or BVLOS) flights were approved by Transport Canada and took place in Canadian skies, providing a much-needed learning opportunity for operators and the regulator alike.
Transport Canada spoke out about its internal efforts and its engagement with industry in 2019 at the recent Unmanned Systems Canada conference in Ottawa. This conference is the largest Canadian drone industry conference, bringing together operators, experts and regulators.
Transport Canada also outlined its exciting regulatory agenda for the coming years, which includes:
- amendments to the VLOS regulations to assist in further streamlining operations and increasing compliance;
- beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) regulations; and
- the first steps towards a system of remote traffic management in Canada.
Find our full summary of the exciting regulatory agenda unveiled at the Unmanned Systems Canada Conference here.
For more information about regulatory developments impacting on the drone industry in Canada, reach out to Kathryn McCulloch or another member of our Dentons’ Aviation team.
