Drone Delivery Canada to upsize drones under extended DSV Canada project

Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) and DSV Air & Sea Inc. Canada, the Canadian division of Denmark-headquartered DSV Panalpina, are renewing and extending a pilot drone project that could later pave the way for larger drone operations for external customers. As part of the extended agreement, drone operator DDC will soon upgrade existing Sparrow drones to larger Robin drones for internal routes across the DSV Canada complex. The Robin XL offers a larger maximum cargo capacity of 11.3 kilograms, compared to the Sparrow’s smaller 4.5 kg, as well as a longer range of 60 kilometers to the Sparrow’s 30 km, according to a company fact sheet. The Robin XL will likely be commercially available toward the end of summer, DDC President and CEO Michael Zahra told Cargo Facts . [caption id="attachment_416203" align="alignright" width="560"] The Robin XL. (Photo/Drone Delivery Canada)[/caption] For the purposes of the DSV project, the cargo capacity is the important factor, Zahra said. “They don’t necessarily need the range of the Robin, but it has greater cargo capacity,” Zahra explained. “It gives them that extra ability to carry either larger cargo or multiple smaller cargoes because of the cargo weight capacity.” DSV’s work with DDC also serves as a starting point for DSV to discuss potential drone operations with its customers, according to Zahra. “DSV being a large company globally and in Canada, they have a number of their customers who they are actively talking to about using drones for delivery at those customer sites — either it could be 100% at their customer site, or it could be to or from DSV to the customer site,” said Zahra. “So the secondary reason to migrate to the Robin, in addition to their own internal logistical benefits of the greater cargo [capacity], is this would be a showcase for them to be able to demonstrate the Robin capabilities to the customers they’re talking to.” DDC also has another, even larger drone, the gasoline-powered, helicopter-style Condor, currently in testing. The Condor has an expected maximum range of 200 km and payload capacity of 180 kg, and according to a March 3 update on successful testing, could also begin commercial operations during 2021. While the DSV Canada project will transition to a 100% Robin XL fleet, Zahra said DDC is in discussions with potential customers looking to add “a mix of the drones.” “Some industries would lean more toward the smaller one or the larger one only, but definitely there would be [industries] that would use two or even three,” said Zahra, pointing to FedEx as an example of a carrier utilizing a wide variety of freighter sizes and equipment types for its cargo operations. Cargo Facts Symposium, taking place LIVE October 25-27 at the Wynn Las Vegas, is the essential event for stakeholders in the air cargo industry. Learn more and register at www.cargofactssymposium.com .

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