Manoel Coelho & Samuel Salomao, Speedbird Aero | Dawn of Autonomy | Episode 116

"Livestreamed: 2026-04-08T16:00:00.000Z Sponsor of the Month: Airspace Link Website: https://airspacelink.com/ Episode Sponsor: Speedbird Aero Website: https://www.speedbird.aero/ Episode Description: On this week’s episode of Dawn of Autonomy, our “UTM and Infrastructure” month—sponsored by Airspace Link—turns to the front lines of drone logistics with guests Manoel Coelho, CEO of Speedbird Aero, and Samuel Salomão, Chief Innovation Officer. Together, they lead one of Latin America’s most advanced drone delivery companies, operating certified BVLOS logistics corridors and developing intelligent uncrewed aircraft systems that transport food, medicine, and critical supplies across Brazil and beyond. In this episode, Manoel and Samuel discuss how large-scale drone delivery depends on both aircraft and airspace infrastructure—from certified platforms and purpose-built droneports to UTM partnerships that enable continuous oversight of high-tempo operations. They share lessons from Speedbird’s collaboration with regulators and enterprise partners, and explain how robust airspace management, resilient communication links, and well-structured safety cases are helping drone logistics transition from pilot projects to everyday utility in complex environments. Tune in to hear how Speedbird Aero is aligning real-world logistics demand with emerging UTM capabilities—and what their experience reveals about the infrastructure required to make autonomous delivery reliable, repeatable, and globally scalable. "