Nevada and Alberta government and business leaders forge trade links

Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems and AERIUM Analytics sign first agreement to result from 2018 summit of North American leaders

(Edmonton, AB) – Delegates from Nevada met with their Alberta counterparts for a day long discussion on Nevada/Alberta trade opportunities, at the Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel on Friday. The Nevada trade delegation was invited to Edmonton by Flair Airlines, who flew them on their inaugural Edmonton-Las Vegas return flight on November 8.

During the meetings an agreement was signed between the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS)/FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site, and AERIUM Analytics to develop Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) and Beyond Visual Line of sight (BVLOS) systems. This type of technology will be necessary in future to allow such services as drone deliveries or drone ambulances. Trials are targeted to begin in Nevada in March – May 2019.

Delegates included the State of Nevada, Government of Alberta, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, Flair Airlines, the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS)/FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site, AERIUM Analytics, Flair Airlines, Aurora Cannabis and EIA.

Quotes:

“We are proud to be a connector between Nevada and Alberta for both leisure and business travel with our new non stop flights,” stated David Tait, Executive Chairman, Flair Airlines. “We were pleased to have been the ‘spark’ that prompted the B2B conference by playing ‘host’ to the Nevada delegates on our return flight from Las Vegas to Edmonton.” 

“Alberta’s economy is looking up, with 90,000 new full-time jobs – mostly in the private-sector – and a real plan to diversify the economy,” said Alberta Economic Development and Trade Minister Deron Bilous. “Under Premier Rachel Notley’s leadership, we’re emerging as a true leader in the development of unmanned vehicle systems technology. Alberta is proud to support companies like AERIUM Analytics as they expand into new markets and become a trusted partner in this growing sector.”

“Teaming with AERIUM Analytics on technology, UTM, and BVLOS marks a milestone in exercising the Nevada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year for the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS),” said Dr. Chris Walach, D.M., Executive/Senior Director, The Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) & the FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site. “AERIUM Analytics is the first Alberta company to participate in live UTM operational testing in Nevada and NIAS is honoured to extend international cooperation between Nevada and Alberta. This teaming to extend UAS technology and operationally exercise UTM will strengthen State of Nevada cooperation with Alberta and help make cross-border BVLOS UAS flights between the US and Canada a real possibility with Nevada companies like AviSight— a Drone Services and Solutions Company. NIAS is very much looking forward to this international cooperation and bringing international perspective to Nevada and sharing Nevada global perspective with Alberta and companies like AERIUM Analytics.” 

“AERIUM Analytics is excited to join NIAS in a collaborative partnership to further explore the development of UTM and BVLOS trials,” said Jordan Cicoria, Vice President, Operations, AERIUM Analytics. “Working together to further the field of unmanned technology and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), this collaborative partnership aides in building strong international relationships, and strengthens the presence of AERIUM Analytics and the Province of Alberta on an international stage. The knowledge and skills gained through the participation in the NIAS trials will be essential for the future development of the Canadian RPAS industry, particularly in and around the UTM and BVLOS capabilities.”

“This delegation is the result of hard work by partners on both sides of the border,” said Tom Ruth, Edmonton International Airport President and CEO. “Tens of thousands of people from the Edmonton Metro Region and across Alberta visit Las Vegas for recreation as well as business, and we are confident that our friends from Nevada will find many trade and leisure opportunities in our region, Western Canada and the North.”

About the partners:

About the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS)

The Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) and FAA-designated Nevada Unmanned Aviation Test Site leads the growth of the Nevada Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS) Industry through business teaming relationships, collaborating with primary research institutions on UAS research and development, and enhancing the Nevada UAS Industry knowledge base to attract new and permanent business and create jobs in the State of Nevada. Learn more at www.nias-uas.com.

About AERIUM Analytics

AERIUM Analytics is a Canadian Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) Service provider with a strong focus on complex operations and geospatial intelligence. Their fleet of RPAS includes commercial-grade fixed-wing, quadcopter, and flapping-wing units, that allow them to provide a variety of stand-alone or package services, including RPAS flight services, wildlife management services, data processing and analysis, and enhanced data visualization. This allows AERIUM Analytics to cover the full spectrum of RPAS needs for their clients. With a strong focus on safety and regulatory compliance, AERIUM Analytics uses innovative technology to deliver unique and effective solutions. To learn more about AERIUM Analytics, please visit: aeriumanalytics.com  or follow @AERIUMAnalytics on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. 

About Flair Airlines 

For a decade Flair operated as a charter carrier before transitioning to scheduled service in 2017. To consistently offer affordable air travel to Canadians, Flair is focused on key airports, with its main transfer hub in Edmonton and a network that supports seasonal demand. As of November 1, 2018 from Flair has flown nearly 1.2 million passengers and operates almost 200 weekly domestic and trans border flights.  For more information, please visit www.flairair.ca

About Edmonton International Airport

Edmonton International Airport is a self-funded, not-for-profit corporation whose mandate is to drive economic prosperity for the Edmonton Metro Region. EIA is Canada’s fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and the largest major Canadian airport by land area. EIA offers non-stop connections to destinations across Canada, the US, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. EIA is a major economic driver, with an economic output of over $3.2 billion, supporting over 26,000 jobs. EIA’s Airport City propels new jobs, tourism and economic diversification – and creates a destination in and around EIA, featuring entertainment, e-commerce, retail, hospitality, cargo/logistics, bio-pharma, light manufacturing and many other industries. EIA is focused on digital strategy to ensure it becomes the airport of the future. For more information, please visit: flyeia.com, follow @flyeia on Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin or Facebook.