iFood starts drone deliveries in Greater São Paulo; see how it works.

O iFood has started drone deliveries in Barueri., in Greater São Paulo, on a route that connects restaurants of Iguatemi Alphaville Shopping Mall to residential condominiums in the region. The operation began on June 1, 2026, and combines drones, autonomous robots, messengers, and partner delivery drivers to reduce bottlenecks such as traffic, gate queues, and order refusals in hard-to-reach areas.

How does iFood's drone delivery work?

The new route is multimodal, a term used to describe a delivery made using more than one type of transport. According to the iFoodThe order is picked up at restaurants in the Iguatemi Alphaville Shopping Mall by a messenger or the autonomous robot ADA. Then, it is taken to the drone's takeoff area.

The aircraft travels an aerial segment of 3,6 km in about five minutesUpon landing in a droneport Once the package is placed in the building, it is passed on to a delivery partner, who is responsible for the final leg to the customer's home. This last phase is known as the "last mile," an expression used in logistics for the final part of the delivery.

In practice, the drone doesn't deliver the order directly to the customer's window or door. It acts as a quick bridge between the shopping mall and delivery points within the apartment buildings, reducing the distance and time spent by delivery drivers on less productive trips.

Why was Barueri chosen?

The choice of Alphaville, a region of Barueri characterized by gated communities and business centers, is linked to what... iFood call of rejection routes: areas where many delivery drivers refuse orders because of waiting times, bureaucratic access issues, or inconvenient commutes.

According to the company, almost 50% of orders Applications intended for part of that region were being rejected. With the drone, the iFood It hopes to expand the area served by the mall's restaurants, reduce delays, and make deliveries viable that previously might not have been worthwhile for the delivery person.

For consumers, the promise is greater availability of restaurants and shorter waiting times. For restaurants and delivery drivers, the focus is on more predictable operations during peak hours, such as lunch and dinner.

Which drone is used in the operation?

The drones used by iFood were developed by the Brazilian company Aero SpeedbirdThe operation in Barueri involves two aircraft, which can be deployed simultaneously and are monitored in real time from an operational center in Franca, in the interior of São Paulo.

• Capacity: up to 5 kg per flight;
• Velocity: up to 50 km/h;
• Operating altitude: approximately 60 meters;
• Climate: It withstands winds of up to 55 km/h and light rain of up to 5 mm per hour;
• Security: It features redundancy systems and an emergency parachute.

The operation has authorizations from Anac (National Civil Aviation Agency) and of Decea (Airspace Control Department). According to the iFoodThis route marks the first authorization of its kind in Brazil for drone delivery over residential areas with a density of up to 5 inhabitants per km².

Will drones replace delivery drivers?

O iFood He says no. The idea is to use the drone as a complement to traditional logistics, not as a direct replacement for delivery drivers. The aircraft only covers the aerial stretch between the shopping mall and the condominium; delivery to the consumer continues to be made by a person.

Second Mariana Werneck, Senior Director of Logistics at iFoodThe drone "expands route possibilities and improves operational productivity, especially in areas with complex access." The key point is to remove from the ground route the sections where the delivery person loses the most time, such as building entrances and long stretches within condominiums.

What already existed in Brazil

Barueri is not the first test of iFood with drones. The company works with Aero Speedbird since 2019 and already operated a route in Sergipebetween Aracaju and Barra dos Coqueiros. We do showmetech We've already talked about this drone delivery route from... iFood (Read and learn more). In this case, a land journey of 36 km was replaced by a flight of less than 4 km, completed in about three minutes.

The new route in Greater São Paulo is significant because it brings the technology to a more complex urban area, with dense condominiums and high demand for delivery services. Even so, the operation remains limited to a specific route and depends on regulatory authorization, suitable weather, and landing infrastructure at the service points.

Price, availability, and next steps

O iFood reports There is no additional charge. for orders placed by drone. However, the new service will not be available to all consumers in Greater São Paulo: initially, the operation serves a specific route between Shopping Iguatemi Alphaville and selected condominiums in Barueri.

Expansion to other regions will depend on route performance, new permits, and the installation of adequate infrastructure, such as takeoff and landing points. For the delivery market, the launch shows that drones have moved beyond the demonstration phase and are beginning to be used in real commercial operations, albeit in controlled scenarios.

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Text revised by Alexandre Marques in 02 / 06 / 2026.

Sources: iFood, Technoblog e Aero Speedbird.