Norwegian start-up to roll out drone food delivery on Stockholm archipelago island
Aviant says its Foodora service will begin drone deliveries to Värmdö, aiming to bring hot meals to residents with limited options
A Norwegian start-up, Aviant, said it will establish what it describes as the region’s first food delivery service by drone, beginning operations on the Swedish island of Värmdö as part of a pilot to bring hot meals to residents who currently have few delivery options.
Aviant has been working with the Foodora platform and testing deliveries in partnership with a burger chain, the company said. Värmdö lies about eight miles (13 kilometres) east of Stockholm as the crow flies and is reachable by car, bus and ferry, but its permanent population of roughly 46,000 — which can swell to as many as 100,000 in summer — has limited access to hot food delivery services compared with city residents.
Lars Erik Fagernæs, co-founder and chief executive of Aviant, showed a map of the islands close to Stockholm and described Värmdö as the company’s initial market. Aviant says the service will use unmanned aircraft to carry prepared meals from participating restaurants to customers on the island, aiming to close a service gap between urban centres and more remote, water-bound communities.
The move highlights a broader geographic challenge in the region: Sweden, Norway and Finland together account for nearly 700,000 islands, many of which are dotted with small communities and archipelagos shaped by long coastlines. While some islands are connected to the mainland by bridges or regular ferry services, they can lack same-day delivery infrastructure common in cities.
Aviant framed its Värmdö pilot as a first step for the Foodora-branded drone deliveries, with the company testing operational logistics and partnerships with restaurants. The start-up did not provide a full timetable for wider roll-out beyond the island trial, nor did it disclose technical specifications for the drones or the number of daily runs planned.
Company executives said the pilot aims to show whether drone delivery can offer a reliable supplement to existing transport links for food and other time-sensitive goods. For Värmdö residents, the service is pitched as a way to receive hot meals without long waits or extensive travel to restaurants on the mainland.
The announcement follows growing interest worldwide in using unmanned aerial vehicles for last-mile logistics, including medical supplies and retail deliveries. Aviant’s initiative specifically targets communities in archipelago and island settings where conventional delivery faces geographic constraints.
Aviant and Foodora did not immediately provide details on pricing, safety procedures, or how deliveries will be integrated with customer ordering apps. Local authorities and aviation regulators will play roles in determining flight corridors, safety standards and limits on operations, matters that companies and regulators typically address during pilot programmes.
The Värmdö trial will be watched by residents and other island communities for evidence that drone delivery can be practical and scalable in northern Europe’s coastal environments, where seasonal population shifts and dispersed settlements present longstanding logistical challenges.