Volatus Aerospace has reached an important regulatory milestone after receiving Transport Canada’s Letter of Acceptance under the country’s new Pre-Validated Declaration process for its Canary Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS).
Announced on July 8, the approval makes Volatus one of the first companies in Canada to receive acceptance under the new framework, bringing it a step closer to deploying autonomous drone operations on a commercial scale.
The Letter of Acceptance confirms that Transport Canada has reviewed and accepted the company’s proposed approach to meeting the safety requirements for its integrated RPAS platform.
According to Volatus, the Canary RPAS is currently the only remotely piloted aircraft system designed to satisfy all of Transport Canada’s safety requirements for Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) operations in populated areas using an onboard detect-and-avoid system, without relying on external detection technology.
The Canary integrates multiple technologies into a single operational platform, including the aircraft itself, autonomous flight capabilities, onboard detect-and-avoid systems, command-and-control technology, operational procedures and other safety features.
Glen Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Volatus Aerospace, said the achievement is the result of years of work across engineering, manufacturing, operations and regulatory collaboration.
He noted that as autonomous aviation moves beyond pilot projects and into commercial deployment, customers and government agencies are increasingly looking for partners capable of delivering complete, regulator-ready solutions.
Receiving the Letter of Acceptance is a key requirement before Volatus can complete its verification activities and submit a formal Safety Assurance Declaration under Canada’s RPAS Safety Assurance framework.
The company said this latest milestone supports its broader strategy of developing a fully integrated autonomous aviation ecosystem that combines aircraft manufacturing, autonomy software, commercial drone operations, mission integration, pilot training and regulatory expertise.
As commercial BVLOS operations continue to expand in Canada and international markets, Volatus believes the approval strengthens its position in the growing autonomous aviation sector while bringing the company closer to launching fully compliant commercial drone services.
