Preparing for Canada’s New RPAS Era
- CFIR
- Dec 18, 2025
- 1 min read
Transport Canada’s new remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) framework marks a turning point for Canada’s drone sector. Beginning April 1, 2025, training for beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations will open, ahead of the first approved missions on November 4. For research teams, drone manufacturers, and public labs, these dates set a clear path for aligning coursework, simulations, and field testing with national standards. They also raise immediate questions about certification, documentation, and flight safety practices that will define industrial and academic collaboration in the coming years. Universities and colleges already leading in robotics research now face the task of adapting teaching materials and flight centres to the new Level 1 Complex requirements. Many are revisiting how they train pilots to manage shared airspace, maintain data integrity, and collect environmental information responsibly. The changes stand to accelerate Canada’s capacity for automated surveying, wildfire monitoring, and infrastructure inspection—fields that depend on safe BVLOS integration. At CFIR, these policy shifts are seen as part of the broader movement linking academic research to commercial applications. The foundation supports programs that help students and startup founders turn experimental drone technology into usable tools. Access to shared infrastructure and cross-disciplinary mentorship allows new ideas to progress from prototype to regulated practice. Still, the wider task is cultural as much as technical. Canada’s innovation community must navigate evolving airspace rules while maintaining public trust and environmental accountability. The 2025 RPAS era, if guided well, could place Canada among the global leaders in safe, evidence-driven use of autonomous flight.
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