Bruce McPherson

Canada’s air navigation service provider, NAV CANADA, launched NAV Drone this week. Designed to help drone pilots and operators safely and legally fly their remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) in Canada, NAV Drone is now available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. A web version of NAV Drone is also available on NAV CANADA’s website.

From June to December 2020, NAV CANADA received nearly 16,000 RPAS flight authorization requests, a 54 percent increase over the same period in 2019, and this trend is expected to continue as a growing number of companies and individuals find new uses for drones in Canada.

As Canada’s air navigation service provider, NAV CANADA has an essential role to play in developing an operating environment that supports the innovative potential of the drone industry and ensures safety across Canadian airspace.

NAV Drone enables users to submit drone flight authorization requests from a mobile device and provides information to help users fly drones quickly, safely and legally in Canada’s controlled airspace.

The only app that can provide drone pilots and operators with permission to fly in NAV CANADA controlled airspace, NAV Drone has an intuitive user interface that allows users to:

• gain awareness to better understand Canada’s airspace;
• visualize where basic and advanced drone pilots can fly;
• create an operation, update and manage drone flights; and
• obtain automatic authorizations from NAV CANADA when approved to fly.   

This system makes the process of requesting authorization to fly in controlled airspace easier and faster for qualified drone pilots and operators.

Quote

“NAV Drone is creating a safer Canadian airspace for all. The drone industry and demands on NAV CANADA’s services are evolving rapidly, so we are continuing to innovate to meet the needs of drone pilots and operators today and well into the future. The new app is a key component of our national drone strategy and will further our dedication to air traffic safety and technological innovation in Canadian airspace.”

— Mark Cooper, Vice President, Chief Technology and Information Officer, NAV CANADA

About NAV CANADA

NAV CANADA is a private, not-for-profit company, established in 1996, providing air traffic control, airport advisory services, weather briefings and aeronautical information services for more than 18 million square kilometres of Canadian domestic and international airspace. The Company is internationally recognized for its safety record, and technology innovation. Air traffic management systems developed by NAV CANADA are used by air navigation service providers in countries worldwide.