Canada’s First RTM Interoperability Trials Launch in Edmonton

Sherwood Park, Alberta, is becoming the unlikely epicenter of Canada’s drone future. This week, a groundbreaking initiative took flight: the Alberta RTM Trials – Operational Evaluation (iART-OE). Marking Canada’s first significant real-world test of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) Traffic Management (RTM) services, these trials aim to unlock the vast potential of drone traffic management by proving the safe integration of drones, particularly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), into shared airspace.

Pioneering Real-World Drone Integration

The trials, coordinated by the iART Alliance, bring together industry heavyweights AIRmarket and OneSky, government bodies like Transport Canada and NAV CANADA, academic institutions, and critical end-users like Strathcona County Emergency Services and Edmonton Fire Rescue. Funded by Emissions Reduction Alberta with support from the Government of Alberta, the project kicks off in Sherwood Park – a region already pioneering Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs – before expanding across the Greater Edmonton Region. The core challenge? Scaling drone operations safely requires a robust system to manage airspace conflicts, especially for essential BVLOS flights delivering medical supplies, inspecting infrastructure, or aiding emergency response. Current regulations often limit drones to visual range, hindering their efficiency and broader application. The Alberta trials seek to overcome this barrier.

Testing the Interoperability Imperative

A critical focus of these trials is interopability. For a national drone traffic management system to function, different RTM platforms must communicate seamlessly. For the first time in Canada, two major RTM providers – AIRmarket and OneSky – will operate their systems simultaneously. The trials will rigorously evaluate how these platforms share real-time airspace data, coordinate flight paths, and resolve potential conflicts. This builds upon foundational work like the UTM trials previously conducted in Dallas, Texas, utilizing open-source principles to ensure systems can work together effectively.

“The Alberta RTM Trials represent a pivotal step toward building the digital infrastructure Canada needs to safely scale BVLOS drone operations,” emphasized Lindsay Mohr, CEO of AIRmarket. “By bringing together industry, government, and technology providers in real-world environments, we’re not just testing systems—we’re shaping the future of airspace access for RPAS.” Robert Hammett, CEO of OneSky UTM, echoed the significance, stating, “OneSky looks forward to working closely with AIRmarket on this next step in advancing RPAS operations in Canada… the country’s RPAS stakeholders [are] forward-thinking and receptive to innovative technology to support safe and efficient BVLOS RPAS operations.”

Building Consensus Among Diverse Stakeholders

The project’s official launch on July 18th underscored its collaborative nature. A safety briefing at AIRmarket’s Edmonton offices convened a wide array of stakeholders: regulators (Transport Canada, NAV CANADA), airport authorities (Edmonton International Airport), law enforcement (RCMP, Edmonton Police Service), emergency services, and healthcare providers (Alberta Health Services). Participants are categorized as operators (actively flying), participants (involved in planning/observation), or observers. This inclusive approach is vital for developing shared communications protocols, procedures, and ultimately, a national framework for drone traffic management that addresses the needs and concerns of all airspace users.

The Path Forward for Canadian Skies

The success of the Alberta trials could accelerate the safe commercialization of drone services nationwide. Proving that multiple RTM systems can interoperate reliably is fundamental to enabling complex operations like long-range delivery, large-scale infrastructure inspection, and integrated emergency response drones operating seamlessly alongside traditional aviation.

Canada’s journey towards integrated drone operations takes a monumental leap forward with the Alberta RTM Trials. By rigorously testing drone traffic management interoperability in real-world scenarios with key stakeholders, this initiative paves the way for safer, more efficient BVLOS flights that promise transformative benefits for industries and communities across Alberta and beyond. Follow the progress of these landmark trials closely – the future of Canadian airspace is being shaped here.

Must Know

1. What is RTM (RPAS Traffic Management)?
   RTM refers to systems and services designed to manage the safe, efficient, and fair integration of drone (RPAS) traffic, particularly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), into shared airspace. It involves coordination between drone operators, regulators, air navigation service providers, and other stakeholders.
2. Why is BVLOS flight so important for drones?
   BVLOS operations allow drones to fly beyond the pilot’s direct sight, enabling longer distances, covering larger areas (like pipelines or farmland), accessing remote locations, and performing tasks more efficiently (e.g., delivery, emergency response, inspection). It’s key to unlocking the full economic and societal potential of drones.
3. What makes the Alberta RTM Trials unique in Canada?
   This is Canada’s first major operational evaluation of RTM services involving multiple providers (AIRmarket and OneSky) testing interoperability in real-world conditions with active participation from diverse stakeholders including emergency services, airports, and national regulators like Transport Canada and NAV CANADA.
4. How do these trials benefit everyday Canadians?
   Successful RTM implementation could lead to faster emergency response via drones, quicker delivery of medical supplies to remote areas, more efficient infrastructure inspections (keeping costs down), enhanced agricultural monitoring, and new economic opportunities within the drone industry.
5. Who is funding and supporting the Alberta trials?
   The initiative receives funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta (funded by the Government of Alberta). It’s coordinated by the iART Alliance, involving key partners AIRmarket and OneSky, along with numerous government agencies, emergency services, and airports.