Meal delivery, often taken for granted in urban centers, is expanding to serve residents in less populated areas.
Sweden, Norway, and Finland, collectively boasting nearly 700,000 islands, lay claim to the highest concentration of islands globally, their coastlines defined by archipelagos that have profoundly influenced their history and culture.
While many of these islands are accessible by ferry or bridge to those residing in the region’s cities, a crucial amenity is frequently lacking: convenient hot food delivery, a service readily available to their urban counterparts.
However, Norwegian start-up Aviant aims to bridge this gap by pioneering the region’s first drone-based food delivery service, commencing operations on the Swedish island of Värmdö.
Located just eight miles (13km) from Stockholm, Värmdö is accessible by car, bus, and ferry. Yet, its population of approximately 46,000, which swells to 100,000 during the summer months, currently has limited access to hot food delivery services.
During a video conference, Lars Erik Fagernæs, co-founder and CEO of Aviant, presented a map outlining the islands closest to Stockholm.
“The white and blue squares indicate areas where Foodora and Wolt offer services, while the black squares represent areas where they do not,” explained Mr. Fagernæs, who is based in Trondheim, Norway.
“As the map illustrates, approximately 87,000 individuals lack access to home delivery services. These residents, primarily located in suburban areas, desire the convenience of ordering takeaway food but currently lack a viable option.”
Since February, residents of Gustavsberg, Värmdö’s main town, and surrounding areas have been able to order freshly prepared burgers from the Scandinavian chain Bastard Burgers directly to their door via drone, utilizing Aviant’s innovative technology.
The cost of delivery is comparable to that of traditional car or bike services, as drone delivery eliminates the expense of a driver.
Aviant is currently in a “beta phase,” limiting deliveries to 10 items per week while meticulously assessing operational efficiency.
The company plans to scale up operations as the year progresses.
Aviant is also poised to launch a similar service on the Norwegian peninsula of Nesodden, situated just four miles from Oslo but a 29-mile road journey. Mr. Fagernæs again referenced a map to illustrate the point.
“The white areas represent locations currently without food delivery services. This initiative will provide approximately 100,000 individuals with access to home delivery for the first time,” he stated.
Mr. Fagernæs acknowledged the complexities involved in perfecting the process, noting that numerous trials were necessary to ensure food remained hot and fresh during the maximum flight time of 10 minutes, covering a radius of up to six miles.
“We have been rigorously testing this for three years, and initially, soggy fries were a common issue,” he recalled. “However, we have significantly improved the insulated container used for burger transport, ensuring that items arrive warm, even during the winter months.”
“The public response has been overwhelmingly positive. Residents are excited and often share the experience with neighbors and family, describing the delivery as akin to receiving food from a UFO.”
Mr. Fagernæs hopes that these pilot programs will provide a blueprint for a broader rollout across Scandinavia, where geographical constraints often limit access to services in communities like Värmdö and Nessoden. He reiterated the significance of the map.
“While Scandinavia lacks sprawling metropolises, these regions, situated on the border between urban and rural areas, are ideally suited for drone delivery, as they are difficult to serve by traditional car-based services. This demographic represents a significant portion of the Scandinavian population,” Mr. Fagernæs stated.
Aviant has identified approximately 40 potential bases for expansion across Scandinavia over the next two years and envisions similar opportunities in Canada, with its vast archipelago of over 52,000 islands, and the northeastern United States, characterized by its abundance of lakes, mountains, and islands.
Addressing the issue of weather, Mr. Fagernæs acknowledged that high winds would occasionally ground the drones but anticipates a 90% uptime for the service.
Regarding the prospect of utilizing drones for food delivery in more remote areas, Aviant is among several drone firms that have explored the feasibility but have found the economics challenging.
Beginning in 2022, Aviant provided delivery services for Thai, Italian, and sushi cuisine to residents outside of Trondheim, but the service was discontinued in August 2023.
Similarly, in 2022, UK-based Skyports delivered school meals to children on the Orkney Islands, with funding from Argyll and Bute Council, and briefly operated a “fish and chip Fridays” delivery service for the wider community.
German firm Wingcopter also delivered everyday goods to rural residents in 2023 as part of a government partnership. In eastern China’s Zhejiang province, a local council is subsidizing drone delivery of hot meals to elderly villagers residing in remote mountainous areas.
However, sustaining these services without government or corporate sponsorship proves to be commercially unviable.
The considerable distances involved would result in prohibitive delivery costs for the consumer, while the food outlet providing the service would struggle to absorb the expense. Moreover, the relatively low population density in rural areas limits the potential order volume required for profitability.
Skyports has, however, been operating a drone delivery service with Royal Mail across the Orkneys since 2023 and is exploring the possibility of repurposing the drones used in this service to reinstate the hot meal delivery service for all residents.
“Currently, our focus is on providing a dedicated service to Royal Mail, but we are certainly considering how these drones could be utilized to transport cargo from mainland outlets to the islands during periods of inactivity,” explained Alex Brown, Skyports director.
“We would need to carefully assess the premium to be charged, as cost reduction is paramount. Our current priority is to refine the service before considering expansion,” he added.
“It is entirely feasible to make such a service viable. Maximizing drone utilization is key.”
“A viable model involves securing an anchor customer to underwrite core costs, followed by incrementally adding new commercial opportunities to generate additional revenue, ultimately leading to a new service for consumers.”
In addition to financial considerations, commercial drone operators in the UK must collaborate closely with the Civil Aviation Authority to establish segregated airspace for operations to mitigate the risk of collisions with other aircraft and minimize potential hazards to individuals on the ground.
While prioritizing safety, this stringent regulatory framework makes the UK drone market more challenging to navigate compared to Europe, Asia, or Australia, as noted by Skyports’ Mr. Brown.
Rural operators can argue that they are operating in atypical airspace with limited air traffic and minimal population density below, while demonstrating the use of advanced navigation and hazard detection technologies. Mr. Brown suggests that the UK government is increasingly receptive to such arguments and is actively encouraging entrepreneurs in the sector.
“The regulatory environment is becoming more favorable, and credit is due to the UK government for making significant progress,” he concluded.
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