It’s all about possibilities, building a bridge between the traditional aviation industry and a future with exciting innovation and sustainable, cleaner technology.
That’s how Teara Fraser described her newest venture she founded, elibird aero, at a celebration launch at the company’s new facility at Boundary Bay Airport on Tuesday.
Having received their flight training certification by Transport Canada, the aero tech company has completed purchase deposits for two all-electric eFlyer 2 airplanes.
The goal will be to provide flight training for the advanced aircraft, but the company has other ambitions ranging from, among other things, robotics and digital transformation, as well as creating battery charging infrastructure.
“This ecosystem of limitless innovation, that’s what we’re interested in. We’re interested in everything in our industry how we can innovate, how we can be creative and use technologies and how we can move toward sustainable zero emissions. That’s why we call this an aero tech company, it’s really about innovation,” Fraser told the Optimist.
Fraser, who is of Metis heritage, is also the founder of Iskwew Air. She is the first Indigenous woman in Canada to launch an airline.
Iskwew Air is described as a bridge between traditional air service and the sustainable technology of the future and elibird aero is aimed at bringing the goal of zero emission aviation to that next step.
“It’s really building on the work that Iskwew Air has already been doing. We’ve been looking at how do we decarbonize. For me, I’ve been in this industry for two decades, so how am I doing my part for what I say is walking softly on Mother Earth. It started with Iskwew looking at the future of air with electric and other emergent technologies and this is really building on that scape of innovation,” added Fraser.
In a news release, Lynette DuJohn, Vice-President, Innovation and Chief Information Officer at Vancouver Airport Authority, said YVR has a long history of innovation and sustainability and proudly supports the launch of elibird aero as the company charts a new path for clean tech and aviation.
“elibird aero is an exciting addition to our province’s thriving tech ecosystem, and through the Innovation Hub @YVR, we look forward to working alongside the team to create a greener and more resilient future as we advance our shared sustainability goals,” said DuJohn.
Fraser serves as a BC Executive Committee member of CAAM, the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility consortium, where Iskwew Air is a founding member. She also established the Aviation Leadership Foundation in 2008, while she also serves as a board director for the British Columbia Aviation Council.
“CAAM is thrilled to support the launch of elibird aero who is growing the Advanced Air Mobility ecosystem, aiming to bring the first all zero-emission flight training unit in Canada, and leading the way in Canada's transition toward zero-emission aviation operations," said JR Hammond, CAAM Executive.
Fraser also founded the not-for-profit Indigenous LIFT Collective where she launched Give them Wings (Indigenous Youth Taking Flight). The elibird aero facility is its new home.
