Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Office Opens at EIA

Aerium Analytics (Aerium) and Clear Flight Solutions (CFS) have opened an office at Edmonton International Airport (EIA) to support ongoing airport operations. This new office, part of the Alberta Aerospace and Technology Centre, will also support all CFS/Aerium northern Alberta operations, including in the oilsands. The opening of this office is a further step in the partnership between EIA and CFS/Aerium and facilitates the expansion of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Services in complex environments such as airports and mining operations.

“The focus on safe and compliant UAV operations within controlled airspace is at the forefront of our service model” says Jordan Cicoria of Aerium. “Thanks to the support of EIA, the use of UAVs as a daily support to airport operations has been realized.”

EIA, Aerium and CFS in 2018 will increase operations closer to the runways to build upon Geospatial Intelligence established during the trial project, utilizing new types of UAVs. This includes scanning of the runways and aprons for photo imagery and LiDAR (laser radar) data. Thermal identification will also be used for wildlife detection as part of the SMART Wildlife management model (the use of technology and data to enhance traditional wildlife management methods). Aerium and CFS will also continue to use the Robird®,a robotic falcon mimicking the appearance and flight of an actual falcon, to allow the companies to compare year-over-year data to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of this UAV on wildlife management and bird control at an airport.

“Last year has shown that CFS and Aerium can use our Robird to safely integrate an effective bird control program into the daily airport operations at EIA. This year, we’re looking to expand on that and we’re happy with the continued support from EIA”, says Nico Nijenhuis, CEO of Clear Flight Solutions.

CFS/Aerium and EIA are committed to developing safe operations at airports. With that in mind, operations this year will progress further on working with local and federal regulators to develop and expand best practices for safe UAV operations within controlled airspace.

“CFS/Aerium have been able to safely integrate UAV use into EIA’s daily operations,” said Steve Maybee, EIA VP of Operations. “Their services effectively supported our wildlife management, operations, and infrastructure projects. Now that we have successfully completed the initial trial, EIA will be continuing to use and integrate CFS/Aerium’s services into daily operations and continuing to evaluate and modify the program to support operational requirements.”