iFood resumes and expands drone operations in Sergipe after unprecedented ANAC authorization

IFood announces the resumption and expansion of the operation of drone deliveries in Sergipe, in partnership with Speedbird Aero, marking a new phase of the project and consolidating the advancement of its multimodal delivery model. The route, pioneer in Brazil and Latin America for delivery, will be expanded after the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) granted the first permanent authorization of the country for safe flights over areas with movement of people. In addition, a new aircraft capable of carrying up to 5 kilograms 3 kilos before, the limit was 3 kilos.

The route departs from the RioMar Shopping Center in Aracaju, flies a stretch of less than a minute in an area with pedestrian circulation and crosses the Sergipe river to reach Barra dos Coqueiros, connecting restaurants in a municipality to residential condominiums in the neighboring city. By air, the route is less than four kilometers, and delivery reaches the consumer within 30 minutes. The deliveryman is responsible for the last mile, that is, the stretch that goes from the drone landing to the consumer.

By land, the route would take about an hour, since round trip total 36 kilometers and cross areas of heavy traffic. This route would make it impossible to operate only with deliverymen, who would be restricted to few deliveries at lunch and dinner times, which are the peaks of demand.

“O iFood is multimodal: it combines bicycles, motorcycles, cars, boats, robots and now also drones to connect a complex ecosystem of deliveries with precision.The drone enters to solve stretches that would not make sense to the deliveryman, who continues to be allocated on more productive routes”, Rodolfo Klautau, director of Logistics at iFood.

The service will operate seven days a week, for 10 hours a day. The route, started in 2021 as a pilot project, was the first to obtain permanent authorization for food transport by drones in South America. Now, in a new phase, the operation returns with capacity for up to 280 orders per day.
 

The resumption of the operation in Aracaju reinforces the strategy of iFood to invest in a multimodal delivery model, which combines different means of transport to overcome the geographical and urban challenges of Brazil. Drones are especially relevant in routes involving natural barriers, such as rivers or areas of difficult access, as well as distant regions. In these cases, aerial technology shortens paths, reduces delivery time and extends the reach of restaurants.

“A resumption and expansion of the project in Aracaju is a milestone not only for iFood and Speedbird, but for the entire air mobility sector in Brazil. This is the first permanent authorization of ANAC for flights over areas with people circulation, a fundamental step for the consolidation of drone deliveries in the country. We are very proud to lead this advance with a national aircraft of greater capacity, which makes the operation more efficient and robust. This achievement demonstrates that the innovation made in Brazil has the maturity to transform urban realities, shortening distances and creating sustainable logistical solutions”, says Manoel Coelho, CEO of Speedbird Aero.

Speedbird Aero is, to date, the only company with two drone models approved by ANAC for BVLOS operations (beyond the line of sight of the operator‘, in Portuguese) aimed at the delivery of cargo in Brazil. These certifications represent unprecedented milestones and bring important differentials, such as the permission to fly at night. Each authorization process took, on average, 12 to 24 months and strictly followed all safety standards, with approval from ANAC and DECEA.

“O iFood believes that innovation is also building together with those who are already doing. Speedbird is a Brazilian company that, like us, bets on state-of-the-art national technology to solve real challenges. This project shows how innovation made in the country can bring Brazil itself closer to itself, connecting cities and shortening distances that previously seemed impossible”, says Klautau.

How does iFood drone work?

• Capacity: up to 5 kg (in this resumption, only food orders).
• Speed: 50 km/h.
• Altitude: up to 60 meters (equivalent to a 20-storey building).
• Security: equipped with GPS for navigation and parachute in case of emergency.
• Operation: commanded by a control center of Speedbird Aero in Franca (SP).
• Fleet: two drones available for the route, which can be triggered at the same time, as per demand.
• Resistance: supports winds up to 55 km/h and light rain (5 mm per hour).