Helijet intends to transition from helicopters to electric Vertical Take-Off and
Landing aircraft after conducting trials. PHoTo: cL ARiSSA KURNIAWAN

YVR-based

Helijet eyes
electric market

The company's helicopter fleet has
the advantage of reaching remote
places otherwise inaccessible by air-

plane

n its drive toward adopting
electric Vertical Take-Off and

Landing (eVTOL) aerial vehi-
cles by 2035, B.C. based air medi-
cal service provider Helijet is facing
some challenges, such as legislation
and building credibility.

Currently, the company is still
waiting for Transport Canada to
accept eVT'OL aircrafts under its

the rules to be able to accept these
new vehicles in this very congested
airspace environment.”

Another challenge is proving the
system’s safety and efficacy to build
confidence in the market.

Still, Helijet is working to gradu-
ally include eVTOLs in their future
operations.

“Our objective is to be doing

governance, trialing with
ipenivotedse, | Pically, the biggest | tees and
ing heliports challenge is time, certain manu-
wlan | because the regulator | ‘scnthes
accommodate is always behind what would be
the new tech- . best suited for
nology. the technology In Helijet,” Sitnam
‘Uislectose | timing.” | it And san
of Western |. —DANNYSIINAM.PRESIDENTCEO | doing over the

Canada’s largest air medical service
providers and has been providing
helicopter medevac charters for
the B.C. Ambulance Service since
1998.

“Typically, the biggest chal-
lenge is time, because the regula-
tor is always behind the technology
in timing,” said Danny Sitnam,
president of Helijet. “It takes the
regulator quite some time to build

— il

next three years.”

Sitnam said he believes that the
use of advanced air mobility tech-
nology will allow Helijet to help
reduce the carbon footprint in the
Metro Vancouver area, as well as
noise pollution.

It also benefits the company as
eVTOL aircrafts are expected to
incur lower operating costs than
conventional light aircraft.

Vancouver can ¢

lift out

of traffic

Stories and Helijet photos

oe

The first uses of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft will
CANADIAN ADVANCED AIR MOBIL

A new era of urban mobili

hris Howe wants everyone in Vancouver to have
access to an automated aerial vehicle that has
similar function to helicopters — by 2035.
Howe, lead operations officer of Canadian
Advanced Air Mobility Consortium (CAAM), is an advo-
cate for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL)
aircraft, which he hopes will be used towards shuttling
passengers and goods across the city.

“It’s important that the first uses of this technology really
help people,” Howe said. “We want to demonstrate that
this is meant to help everyone, not just for the rich.”

Although the aircraft will be quite expensive for the
general public in the early stages, the consortium is hope-
ful eVTOLs will become an affordable alternative for
commuters within two decades.

All Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles in Canada
are mandated to have zero carbon emissions, aligning with
the B.C. government’s Zero Emission Vehicles plan by
2040.

Unlike most helicopters, eVTOL uses electricity and
hydrogen to function, rather than jet fuel, meaning less air
pollution in the city.

The consortium said Vancouver is on track to become
one of the earliest adopters of advanced air mobility in
North America. —

The metropolis is becoming
more congested with an influx
of people moving to the area.

According to a 2017 Metro
Vancouver projection for
regional growth, the popula-
tion of the City of Vancouver

“Tt

is expected to rise to 821,680 toc
by 2041, from 700,283 in .
2021. thi:

The growth of the city has evel

led to higher traffic volumes,
longer travelling times, and an
increase in carbon emissions.

“Unlike many large cities,
Vancouver has no freeways
into or through the down-
town area. Hemmed in by water and mountains, the area
is completely built-out with few opportunities for new

SUBMITTED PHOTO