In a significant development for urban logistics, Brazil’s civil aviation authority has authorised delivery drones to operate over densely populated areas, establishing a scalable national framework for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.

The decision by the regulator, ANAC, allows Speedbird Aero to fly its DLV-2 A25 drone over areas with a population density of up to 5,000 people per sq km. Smaller variants, such as the DLV-1 Neo, are approved for operations over areas with up to 500 people per sq km. Previously, operators required individual regulatory approvals for every route. By shifting to a general set of approved rules, the new framework allows operators to build continuous logistics networks without needing special exemptions for each new flight path.

“Unlike the previous scenario – in which each route required individual approval – the country is now adopting a framework that supports scale, predictability, and sustainable growth for the industry,” said Roberto Honorato, ANAC’s superintendent of airworthiness.

The approval was granted based on the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) methodology, an internationally recognised standard. A key factor in securing the authorisation was the drone’s parachute recovery system, which ANAC recognised as a mechanism capable of significantly mitigating the impact of an uncontrolled descent.

Speedbird Aero, which has carried out nearly 40,000 commercial drone missions across 14 countries since 2018, operates on a “drone-as-a-service” model. The regulatory breakthrough has already attracted significant commercial backing, with the Brazilian food delivery platform iFood recently announcing a US$5.8m investment in Speedbird to expand its operations.

The partnership is developing new routes in the São Paulo metropolitan area, connecting a shopping centre to nearby residential condominiums. This builds on a pioneering operation in the state of Sergipe, where drones transport food from a shopping centre in Aracaju across the river Sergipe to Barra dos Coqueiros in a matter of minutes, replacing a journey that can take up to an hour by road.

Beyond food delivery, the technology is transforming industrial logistics. At the Carajás mine in the northern state of Pará, Speedbird and the mining company Vale successfully used a larger drone, the DLV-2 E35, to transport mineral samples a distance of 42km in 45 minutes – a trip that traditional road transport completes in up to four hours due to challenging terrain.

Manoel Coelho, the chief executive of Speedbird, noted that the company is now targeting expansion into North America and Europe. He believes the extensive flight hours logged in Brazil will provide the necessary evidence to satisfy the US Federal Aviation Administration, which is currently finalising its own Part 108 drone rules.

The Brazilian precedent mirrors ambitions in Britain, where the Civil Aviation Authority is conducting BVLOS trials in controlled airspace. Under the government’s future of flight action plan, routine drone deliveries are expected to become commonplace in the UK by 2027.