Volatus Aerospace unveils Latin America joint venture

Canada's Volatus Aerospace helped US-based Aerovel Corporation market its Flexrotor unmanned aircraft at CANSEC 2022 in early June in Ottawa. The Flexrotor performs intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR). (Aerovel Corporation)

Canada-based drone services provider Volatus Aerospace Corporation has formed a joint venture (JV) with Peru's EOLO Drones to serve government and commercial customers in the “vast, emerging market” of Latin America, Volatus announced on 8 June.

Under the JV, called Volatus Aerospace LATAM, Volatus will expand its presence in Latin America, while EOLO will help identify potential clients and additional partners. Volatus will own 75% of the JV, and EOLO will hold the remaining 25%.

Volatus said Latin American entities increasingly want to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for missions such as surveillance, inspections, and cargo transport. As evidence of this rising interest, Volatus noted that the Peruvian Air Force is scheduled to hold its first drone conference, SITDrone (Salon Internacional Technologico de Drones), in November at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima.

“We have worked on this JV for almost a year ensuring that we understand the market and its potential,” said Kate McKenna, Volatus' investor relations and government liaison.

Volatus representatives met with Lieutenant-General Carlos Chavez Cateriano, chief of staff for the Peruvian Air Force, at CANSEC in early June in Ottawa.

Volatus' services include flight operations, training, equipment sales, maintenance, and research and development. The company has a network of 1,200 pilots in North America who serve defence, public safety, and other government agencies, and industry.

The UAVs that Volatus uses for defence include Ascent AeroSystems' Spirit and UAVTEK's Bug and Fury, all of which perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); Aerovel Corporation's Flexrotor, which conducts ISR and target acquisition; and Full Throttle Aerial's heavy-lift Scorpion.