Speedbird Aero, a drone delivery company headquartered in Brazil, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with High Lander, an uncrewed traffic management (UTM) developer and service provider from Israel.
This international collaboration between the two companies is set to revolutionize the safety and efficiency of drone-based deliveries at a time when this industry is undergoing rapid, global growth, while also laying the groundwork for future partnerships and collaborations across the world.
As the drone delivery sector continues to expand worldwide, the need for robust, high-performance uncrewed aircraft systems (drones) and reliable airspace management is becoming critical. Speedbird Aero and High Lander provide field-tested solutions in both of these areas that are already in active use at scale. By leveraging Universal UTM, Speedbird Aero will ensure that its flight operations are carried out safely and efficiently without endangering other aircraft or people on the ground, while demonstrating to regulators that full oversight of uncrewed aerial activity is possible.
Furthermore, the partnership provides a strategic foundation for a new consortium of aviation players throughout the LATAM region. As part of a strategic program, the two companies are currently in touch with various stakeholders, including the Brazilian Association of Civil Aviation Pilots, (ABRAPAC), the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), the Brazilian Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), Embraer, Saipher, and more.
Speedbird Aero is a global drone delivery provider that manufactures UAVs for transport and delivery of goods for commercial, industrial and healthcare purposes, as well as droneports that provide the supporting infrastructure for these vehicles. Speedbird Aero was the first company to receive regulatory approval from the ANAC to execute commercial drone deliveries, including BVLOS and night flights, and it is partnered with leaders in various industries, including food delivery, healthcare, e-commerce, and more. Speedbird Aero operates its drone fleet for logistic purposes across Brazil and other countries, executing over 10,000 deliveries in its first two years of operation.
High Lander’s Universal UTM is a drone-agnostic uncrewed traffic management solution designed to enable the safe and efficient integration of drones into airspaces worldwide. It is an automated air traffic control system that operates 24/7 to coordinate all uncrewed aerial vehicles in a given area, ensuring that this activity does not clash with crewed aircraft and creating the infrastructure needed to comfortably manage the new volumes of aerial traffic with which legacy systems have been struggling. Amongst other achievements, the solution has already been approved to provide UTM services to the Israeli National Police Force, and has been successfully tested for integration with existing national air traffic control systems.
“We are excited to partner with High Lander since they are market leaders in the UTM space, and by integrating their services we enhance the safety and efficiency of our logistic operations via drone,” said Samuel Salomao, CPO of Speedbird Aero. “By leveraging High Lander’s UTM technology, we can ensure the safe and efficient operation of our drones, enabling us to deliver packages faster and more reliably than ever before, even in the most complex environments.”
High Lander has signed this partnership as part of a wider push into the LATAM region. This includes working with ABRAPAC to finally enable drones to coexist with helicopter traffic in Sao Paolo, as well as wider-reaching plans with regulatory bodies ANAC and DECEA and nationwide ATM provider Saipher. These developments are just some examples of the opportunities created by the partnership between Speedbird Aero and High Lander, a powerful alliance that will continue to have a major impact on the aviation space in the LATAM region.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Speedbird Aero to help them demonstrate that drone technology is the future of global deliveries,” said Alon Abelson, CEO of High Lander. “Universal UTM is the perfect complement to Speedbird’s next-generation hardware, providing the tools they need to effectively monitor the airspace and prevent conflicts, which enables them to deliver packages with greater speed, efficiency, and safety, regardless of the location.”
This development follows a recent $14 million investment in High Lander by EDGE Group, an Emirati technology conglomerate.