Up and Away Take Away in Bali – Food Delivery by Drone Undergoing Trial
NusaBali reports that a drone-based food delivery is being trialed in Bali through a pilot project involving SKYY Network, Nuanu Creative City, Café del Mar Bali, and Grab Indonesia. The three-month trial operation aims to assess the readiness of technology, infrastructure, regulations, and operational patterns for drone delivery following the end of the trial period,
The route being tested connects Café del Mar Bali in North Kuta with Nuanu Creative City in Beraban, Tabanan, West Bali. Under the trial program, Café del Mar Bali will serve as a dispatch point, while Nuanu Creative City will act as a test destination to test and demonstrate unmanned flight technology in a real-world setting.
Organizers quickly explain that this trial project is not designed to replace the entire land-based delivery process currently operating in Bali. Orders will continue to be placed via the existing Grab App, with food prepared by Café del Mar Bali, while experienced drone pilots will handle deliveries remotely. Existing Grab Indonesia delivery drivers perform the final stage—or “last-mile delivery”—to the customer’s doorstep.
The drones are being tested to assist with deliveries on specific route segments that present specific geographical challenges. Through a hybrid model combining air and ground delivery, the parties aim to determine whether the technology can improve efficiency without changing the role of driver-partners in the overall process.
SKYY Network CEO Rory Houston said Bali has characteristics distinct from other locations where the company has previously operated drones. In addition to testing food delivery, the project takes place in controlled airspace adjacent to busy flight operations at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.
”Together with Nuanu Creative City, Café del Mar Bali, and Grab Indonesia, we are using this pilot project to understand how drone delivery can be executed responsibly and safely in Bali, in a way that complements the existing delivery ecosystem,” said Rory.
SKYY Network utilizes drones provided by its hardware partner, A2Z Drone Delivery. In its implementation, the company relies on the SkyyOS System to monitor flight operations and drone positioning in real time. In Bali, this technology is utilized for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Missions—drone flights conducted outside the operator’s direct line of sight.
Safety and regulatory compliance are integral parts of the testing process. Project operations adhere to applicable aviation regulations, including coordination with the Ministry of Transportation, the Bali Provincial Government, and local traditional villages along the flight route.
Lev Kroll, CEO of Nuanu Creative City, said the project aims to assess firsthand whether drone technology is applicable in environments where community and economic activities are already taking place.
“We aren’t trying to prove that drones are the future of everything. What we want to understand is where this technology is genuinely relevant, how to use it responsibly, and what we can learn from its actual implementation,” Lev said.
Meanwhile, Prisca Yosevine, Operational Head for the Bali-Nusa Tenggara region at Grab Indonesia, noted that the drone technology in this project is being tested as a complement to the existing delivery ecosystem. She emphasized that safety, regulatory compliance, customer experience, and the role of driver-partners remain key priorities throughout the trial scenario.
“This technology is not here to replace our driver-partners, but rather to complement their roles and help us explore more efficient hybrid logistics models,” Prisca stated.
Over three months, the project will gather insights regarding infrastructure readiness, operational requirements, user experience, flight safety, and the interaction between drones and ground-based delivery systems. The trial results are expected to provide an overview of both the potential and the limitations of using drones for online food delivery in Indonesia.
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