Airspace Link, Inc., announced it will oversee the testing of the safe integration of drones into the City of Ontario, California beginning this July. An event entitled “Tech on Tap” will be hosted on July 9 to celebrate the grand opening of a new “Connected and Convenient Community,” named New Haven; a new-construction, and resort-style, residential development from Brookfield Residential. This Ontario-based development is designed to be a connected community that will benefit from smart innovations, including drone delivery of food and beverages, packaged goods and other commercial services focused on forward-looking technology.
Airspace Link will team up with drone delivery services provider DroneUp and the City of Ontario to showcase the digital infrastructure between the New Haven neighborhood, located within the Ontario Ranch development, the #5 selling master-planned community in the U.S, and its nearby New Haven Marketplace. This digital infrastructure will enable safe, advanced and scalable drone delivery options for a variety of products.
Airspace Link will work in collaboration with DroneUp to enable drone delivery missions for this technology showcase; drones will deliver ribbon cutting scissors and microbrew beverages to commemorate the ceremonial grand opening of the New Haven Marketplace, various community resources and the highly anticipated Brew Haven brewery. The drone packages will be delivered to the Ontario Mayor after the keynote address to kick off the two-hour public event, featuring microbrews, food vendors and other technology demonstrations.
Airspace Link CEO Michael Healander said Ontario will serve as a test bed for future connected communities — those which will one day receive other drone delivery services such as water meter readings, safety reports and on-demand pharmaceutical delivery.
“We are pleased to see the leadership in Ontario ensure their community has the right safety procedures in place and is ready to support advanced commercial drone operations,” Healander said. “Brookfield Properties recognizes a need for greater connectivity and convenience with residential homes and populations migrating out of downtown urban environments and into more rural and suburban environments.”
The COVID-19 pandemic created a major shift in population densities around the globe, Airspace Link’s Vice President of Business Development Lisa Peterson said.
“The City of Ontario is working to maintain and drive their population with continued growth; and together with Brookfield and other collaborators, the New Haven community will be just one piece of the puzzle in their efforts to create and design a new infrastructure, resulting in connected, convenient communities,” Peterson said.
Following the City of Ontario and Brookfield’s grand opening event, Airspace Link will implement a full operational strategy for routine deliveries with various drone companies; providing an alternative option to traditional ground transportation that is faster, more economical, and more sustainable (also better for the environment with less CO2 emissions).
“The infrastructure Airspace Link is creating for drones in these Ontario neighborhoods will enable California and other local communities to stay ahead of the curve with smart city developments and future gentrification,” Healander said.
“Drones are the future of developing smart cities. This is particularly true for residential developments seeking to create an ecosystem where engaging drones can advance connecting people to services with speed and convenience, eliminating traffic while also offering sustainable and greener options for receiving goods and services,” stated Tripp Shannon, CRO of DroneUp. “Ontario is forward-thinking. We are pleased to support their testing initiative to streamline city operations so that city planners can improve their understanding of how communities work together using technology.”
About Airspace Link, Inc:
Airspace Link, Inc. is an FAA Approved UAS Service Supplier (USS) of the Low Altitude Authorization & Notification Capability (LAANC). A cloud-based platform founded by Detroit, Michigan based CEO Michael Healander. Airspace Link’s low altitude drone infrastructure is deployed to local communities and airports to support the safe use of recreational and commercial drone use in the region. These capabilities provide a new type of Smart City mobility infrastructure supporting the growth of drone operations, drone service providers, drone manufacturing, package delivery and air taxi in the future.
