Air Canada gets into drone delivery business

An Air Canada plane AFP FILE PHOTO

MONTREAL — Canada’s flagship airline is getting into the business of delivering cargo by drones, announcing on Tuesday a sales agreement with Drone Delivery Canada to market its services across the country.

The 10-year deal will see Air Canada’s cargo division pursue sales of the start-up’s delivery services on tens of thousands of planned routes.

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“We believe drone technology has the potential to offer the cargo community cost-effective solutions to complex issues,” Air Canada vice president Tim Strauss said in a statement.

Strauss emphasized how the service could be particularly useful in remote communities.

Air Canada and Drone Delivery Canada Corp. Announce a Sales Agency Agreement: https://t.co/SwOkWbkCUM
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Air Canada et Drone Delivery Canada annoncent une entente commerciale visant à offrir aux expéditeurs l'accès à la technologie des drones : https://t.co/LsvU0o43oh pic.twitter.com/44UX7r9MVe

— Air Canada (@AirCanada) June 4, 2019

Drone Delivery Canada said it is planning to build and operate up to 150,000 drone delivery routes in Canada, before pushing in the United States and Europe.

It must still obtain regulatory approvals.

The company last year signed its first contract, a Can$2.5 million (US$1.9 million) deal to deliver supplies, medicine, food and mail to the remote Moose Cree First Nation in the north of Ontario province.