DJI Agriculture, a global leader in facilitating agricultural innovation through drone technology, and AL Drones, a leader in Brazil in certification consultancy for professional drones, have achieved Voluntary Design Authorizations from the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) for the T20P, T30 and T40 drones from the DJI Agras family. The DJI T20P, T30 and T40, specialized in agricultural operations, have all been granted the approvals. This is a milestone in the professional drone sector in Brazil, as it is the first aeronautical certification obtained by DJI outside of China, where it operates under the regulations of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The Voluntary Design Authorization ensures that the design respects the safety guidelines provided by ANAC, aligned with the international market for agricultural drones, and published in the Supplementary Instruction IS N° E94.5-001 Rev A. Furthermore, the authorization recommends a support structure for aircraft operation and maintenance, giving operators and customers, additional peace of mind.

The ceremony that sealed the Authorization of DJI drones was held online on December 27th, 2023, with the participation of representatives from the Chinese manufacturer, AL Drones and ANAC.

AL Drones was responsible for conducting the Design Authorization process for drones from the DJI Agras family, which in Brazil are the most used for agricultural spraying operations, such as applying fertilizers or pesticides, sowing, and spreading seeds. The DJI Agras T20P, T30 and T40 models help enhancing today’s farming methods for the benefit of everyone, not only in Brazil, but all over the world.

To obtain this Authorization, the certification process involved the engagement of ANAC engineers to evaluate and check the drone models documentation. In this sense, some items were strictly analyzed, such as Operational Safety Analysis, ensuring criteria set out in the SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) methodology, published by JARUS (Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems) and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency). This ensures adequate project mitigations against Fly-Away scenarios (exit of the authorized area), and protection automation against different failure scenarios.

“This is a milestone for the sector, in which the largest civilian drone manufacturer in the world, DJI, achieved a Triple Authorization for the Agras family. This achievement attests to the high-quality standards of DJI Agras models and the excellent support provided by the manufacturer in Brazil, following the safety criteria recommended by ANAC”, highlights the co-founder of AL Drones, André Arruda.

The DJI Agras T20P stands out for being light and agile and having an attractive cost for operators. It can carry a spray payload of up to 20 kg and a spreading payload of up to 25 kg.

The DJI Agras T30 lifts the load to up to 30 kg of substances for spraying and 35 kg for spreading.

The DJI Agras T40, the top of the line in the family, can carry a payload of 40 kg for spraying and 50 kg for spreading.

“The Authorization granted for the DJI Agras T20P, T30 and T40 models marks a new era in the agricultural drone sector. From now on, operators can be assured that their drone models follow ANAC safety guidelines and device support from a local representative”, added the co-founder of AL Drones, Lucas Florêncio.

Matheus Mestrinelli, certification coordinator at AL Drones, highlighted that, “In close collaboration with DJI’s technical staff, the team took on the responsibility of demonstrating, through technical reports and safety analyses, that the Agras T20P, T30 and T40 models comply with all the requirements established by ANAC. Obtaining the Voluntary Design Authorization is the result of this joint effort and highlights the dedication of those involved in meeting the highest safety standards of the unmanned aircraft industry.”

AL Drones and DJI have been working in partnership since 2021, leading the certification of aero agricultural drones in Brazil. Furthermore, the companies remained actively engaged throughout the public consultation process and drafting of the new ANAC regulations for agricultural operations with drones, which based on Resolution No. 710, reclassified drones used in the application of pesticides and the like, adjuvants, fertilizers, inoculants, correctives and seeds as Class 3 drones, regardless of weight, as long as they respect the distance to third parties and operate VLOS or EVLOS up to 120 meters above the ground.

The resolution made it more flexible for new, larger models to enter Brazil for use in agriculture and enabled DJI drones to be used to their full potential with the highest safety standards for agricultural operations, with ANAC’s Design Authorization.

About DJI

Since 2006, DJI has led the world with civilian drone innovations that have empowered individuals to take flight for the first time, visionaries to turn their imagination into reality, and professionals to transform their work entirely. With a solution-oriented mindset and genuine curiosity, DJI has expanded its ambitions into the area of agriculture.

In 2012, DJI commenced R&D of agriculture drones and in 2015 established DJI Agriculture. DJI Agriculture is committed to developing innovative, efficient and sustainable solutions to continuously improve agricultural productivity. With products servicing over 100 countries worldwide, DJI Agriculture has empowered over 10 million professional users with intelligent farming solutions.

For more information, visit:
Website: https://ag.dji.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJIAgriculture/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJIAgriculture
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/DJIAgriculture

About AL Drones

AL Drones is a leader in drone certification in Brazil. The company provides engineering and consulting services dedicated to professional drones. Driven by transformational power of this technology, AL Drones exists to expand unmanned aircraft operations in the country. The company has achieved the first BVLOS approvals in the Brazilian Airspace and has already obtained Design Authorization for 16 different drone models at the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). AL Drones leads aeronautical certification for professional remote aircraft on package delivery, field mapping, crop spraying, inspections, and perimeter security.

For more information, visit:
Website: https://aldrones.com.br/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aldrones_aviation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/al-drones/