Spright, the new drone division of Air Methods, and Synerjet Corp, a specialist in business aviation in Latin America, have signed an agreement under which the two companies will partner to operate drones to serve the healthcare market in Brazil.

Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by both companies, Synerjet will identify potential healthcare customers in Brazil, manage certifications and route studies, service equipment and provide 19 new drones by early next year, while Spright will handle the operational side of transporting critical medical supplies to healthcare facilities throughout the South American country.

With more than 212 million people, Brazil is the sixth-ranked country in the world by population and the fifth-ranked by total area. Similar to the U.S., the vast majority of Brazil’s population is located in metropolitan areas, with 27.4 million people, or roughly 13%, of the population living in rural areas, many of which cannot be reached by road. This creates formidable challenges in getting healthcare products such as vaccines, blood tests and whole blood to remote healthcare facilities.

“We are excited to partner with Synerjet to build an air medical transport business that serves the Brazilian healthcare market,” said Joe Resnik, president of Spright. “I am confident that Synerjet’s infrastructure, equipment and knowledge of Brazilian flight regulations coupled with the professionalism and capabilities of Spright will combine to produce a winning formula that will benefit Brazil’s healthcare providers and large population.”

Synerjet will deliver 19 new drones for Spright to operate by late this year or early in 2023. The companies will launch two proof-of-concept drone projects in July to test capabilities, collect data on the environment and promote their service offerings to potential customers in the Brazilian market.

“Thanks to this partnership, drones will be able to deliver critical healthcare products and supplies to even the most remote sections of Brazil,” said José Eduardo Brandão, CEO of Synerjet. “We are looking forward to working with Spright to build a medical drone business in Brazil that will improve healthcare and save lives.”