Volatus Aerospace Supports J.D. Irving, Limited’s Vision for Drone-Powered Tree Planting in New Brunswick

VAUGHAN, Ontario, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Volatus Aerospace Corp. (TSXV: FLT; OTCQB: TAKOF; FSE: A3DP5Y) is pleased to announce a strategic collaboration with J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) to advance Spring 2025 tree planting operations in New Brunswick. This initiative supports JDI’s leadership in managing working forests by integrating advanced heavy-lift drone technology to enhance their efficiency, scalability and environmental impact.

As part of the project, Volatus will provide a heavy-lift Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) capable of transporting seedlings and supplies to planting crews operating in remote and difficult-to-access terrain. All flight operations will be coordinated by Volatus’ centralized Operations Control Centre (OCC) in Vaughan, Ontario, enabling real-time mission oversight and reduced environmental footprint compared to traditional ground logistics.

“Forestry is a critical pillar of Canada’s economy and environmental stewardship,” said Glen Lynch, CEO of Volatus Aerospace. “We are honoured to support JDI’s long-standing commitment to well-managed working forests by contributing innovative drone logistics, training, and regulatory guidance to their Spring 2025 reforestation operations.”

Ben Lane, Operations Manager, Tree Planting, states, "At JDI we strive to make improvements to our operations, and we always focus on our people. We needed to find safer and more efficient ways to deliver seedlings to our planters and we think drones are the answer. It has been great working with Volatus to help make this initiative a reality." 

JDI is a leader in planting trees nationally and has planted more than 1.1 billion trees since 1957. Following recent wildfire devastation, more than 5.3 billion seedlings are estimated to be needed to restore just 15% of damaged forests. Globally, the tree planting services market is expected to grow from $7.2 billion in 2023 to $12.5 billion by 2031, positioning Canada—and technologies like drone logistics—at the forefront of this expansion.

Drone-based seedling delivery is a scalable, low-cost solution accelerating global tree planting and forestry operations. By combining AI, automation, and remote sensing, drones enable high-volume planting in remote terrain with minimal environmental impact—aligning with sustainability priorities while creating long-term value in the growing carbon market.