Drone Rules for CODEBA - Port of Aratu
The airspace over the Port of Aratu-Candeias (Candeias, BA) is classified as a Critical Industrial Infrastructure and High-Risk Chemical Security Zone. Recreational and hobbyist drone flights are strictly banned. Technical, commercial, or operational flights are heavily restricted.
The Port of Aratu-Candeias, managed by CODEBA in the Todos os Santos Bay, is one of the most critical industrial ports in Brazil. It serves as the primary logistical gateway for the massive Camaçari Petrochemical Complex, handling immense volumes of liquid bulk (chemical products, acids, liquefied gases), solid bulk (fertilizers, metalloids), and gaseous hydrocarbons across highly specialized marine terminals.
Because of the volatile nature of the cargo handled daily, security standards under the international ISPS Code are tightly enforced by CODEBA. Flying a recreational drone over the piers or adjacent waters is strictly illegal. The threat landscape includes:
Explosion Risks: The presence of open-air pipelines, gas recovery systems, and fuel storage farms means any mechanical failure or spark from a crashing drone could cause a catastrophic industrial accident.
Severe Signal Interference: The port's vast steel layouts, massive chemical storage tanks, and multi-frequency industrial marine communication networks create severe electromagnetic fields that heavily disrupt a drone's standard 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz control signals.
To conduct professional operations (such as mandatory hull inspections, environmental safety surveying, or industrial engineering mapping):
CODEBA Application: Operators must submit a comprehensive request to CODEBA’s Port Security and Port Guard (Guarda Portuária) divisions well ahead of schedule.
Compliance Checks: The pilot must provide proof of ANAC SISANT registration, ANATEL component clearance, a formal professional risk assessment matrix, and a valid RETA aviation liability insurance policy.
DECEA Coordination: Once CODEBA grants a formal "no-objection" certificate, the definitive flight path must be activated and cleared in the SARPAS NG database.
Any unapproved drone operating near the chemical or gas berths will be instantly targeted by the Port Guard using electronic jamming or physical countermeasures. The aircraft will be seized, and the pilot will be detained and handed over to the Federal Police (Polícia Federal) under federal laws governing national critical infrastructure security.