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

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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

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