Drone Delivery: Companies in Bahia adopt technology that speeds up deliveries in hard-to-reach locations

To be transported, the goods are placed in a custom-made box, which is then attached to the aircraft. The route is defined from the control center, and the customer can track the delivery route in real time. Upon arrival at the landing point, a motorcycle courier delivers the goods to the final destination.

One of the companies that makes drone deliveries in Salvador is Neodent, a global dental implant manufacturer and the first company in the dental sector to adopt this logistics technology in Brazil.

"The operation, which began in January of this year, provides benefits such as reduced delivery times, greater operational efficiency, and a transportation model with a lower environmental impact," said Juliano Souza, Logistics Manager at Neodent.

Juliano emphasizes that drone deliveries are carried out exclusively in Salvador, where the city government has provided landing and takeoff points, two of which are strategic for Neodent's operations. The company has already conducted drone tests in Curitiba and Florianópolis and is considering expanding to other capitals.

The delivery routes already available in the capital of Bahia were traced by Speedbird Aero, a pioneering company in developing and operating unmanned aerial systems in Brazil, with two aircraft models already certified and approved by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC).

"Salvador already has the DLV-2 model, capable of carrying up to 10 kg, the first aircraft in the country certified to fly up to 23 km beyond the pilot's line of sight," highlighted Manoel Coelho, CEO of Speedbird Aero.

In addition to Neodent, in the healthcare segment, Speedbird also performs logistics operations for the Pardini Group laboratories, transporting biological material.

"Customers sometimes don't even realize their order has traveled this route, but they can see that delivery was faster. We're able to complete 80% to 90% of the route, ensuring greater operational safety while also contributing to reducing carbon emissions," he added.

The first authorization Speedbird obtained in Brazil was to carry out a food delivery operation, which, although not the company's original focus, was within the scope of enabling deliveries to hard-to-reach locations.

“We were able to make it possible to deliver the capital Aracaju (SE) to Barra dos Coqueiros , in the metropolitan region, saving a distance of 30km,” he explained.

The company currently has two active aircraft in Salvador, out of a total of 35 operating in 12 countries. Two other new models, for payloads exceeding 50 kg and flight ranges of up to 100 km, are in the development and certification phase.

"The technology is constantly being developed, including in partnership with Senai Cimatec in Salvador. Our goal is to expand operations to serve both the Linha Verde and Morro de São Paulo, for example," said Manoel Coelho.

The route is mostly over the sea to comply with ANAC regulations prohibiting drones from flying over densely populated areas. The capital of Bahia is the Brazilian city with the most BVLOS (beyond the pilot's line of sight) routes.

The 40-km urban drone delivery route, the largest in Brazil, features 10 regulated takeoff and landing points, from the Stella Maris neighborhood to Contorno Avenue. There's also a strategic route, already approved by the Department of Airspace Control (Decea), from Salvador to Itaparica Island, with two points, one in Itaparica and the other in Vera Cruz .

"We are very optimistic about the future of unmanned aviation in Brazil, with significant advances even compared to other countries. Salvador is ahead of the curve, both due to its topography and its incentive policies," he noted.

In February of this year, the Municipal Policy to Promote the Use of Unmanned Aircraft in Salvador was approved, the first of its kind for the segment in the country, which regulates the commercial use of drones.

The decree provides for actions that enable the use of the city's airspace and territory in an orderly manner, establishing landing and takeoff infrastructure, zoning strategic circulation areas, in a manner integrated with transportation networks and urban and mobility planning.

"Salvador is an emblematic case, with the largest approved route for drones in the world, with 10 droneports in operation, and now, we have been able to contribute to the regulation of the Municipal Policy," highlighted Vitor Antunes, Project Director at Droneportos do Brasil, an initiative composed of leading companies in the urban air mobility sector.

According to Vitor, this policy "puts the house in order," defines the infrastructures that support the operation of unmanned aircraft (droneports and integrated stations), establishes a Governance Committee that includes ANAC and DECEA, in addition to the municipality, and regulates the registration of operators with the city hall.

"We expect that more and more users and logistics operators will adopt drone-based cargo transportation as a routine. This movement will generate new jobs and boost green logistics in cities. The impact of airways on a municipality's carbon footprint is unprecedented," Antunes concluded.

The wealth generated in Bahia and the fate it takes in the world returned to TV Bahia's screen in the new season of "Onde Tem Bahia", which premiered on Friday (25) . The special program had two episodes, always after Globo Repórter, and the content highlighted the strategic importance of the sea economy for the development of the state and Brazil.

The project, presented by journalist Eduardo Oliveira, broadens horizons and reinforces the value of local production.

In this second season, the TV Bahia team crossed continents to show how products and solutions created in Bahia generate business opportunities and growth in Europe, South America, and North America.

"Onde tem Bahia" focuses on multiplatform content. In addition to television, short programs will be broadcast on Bahia FM radio (88.7 FM) and on TV Bahia's social media channels.

See more news from the state on g1 Bahia .