Country's low-altitude economy aims sky high
Tourism, agriculture, logistics expected to drive strong growth, experts say
Deliveries expanding
Delivery drones have become increasingly widespread in recent years. Chinese e-commerce giant JD has used drones to reach consumers in hard-to-reach remote areas.
The drones take off from regional delivery stations, follow a predetermined route to villages or rural areas, land at designated drop-off points and give orders directly to customers, significantly shortening delivery time and reducing logistics costs.
Food delivery platform Meituan has made great strides in drone usage. The company announced in April that its self-developed fourth-generation drone has passed a CAAC review, and obtained the country's first operating certificate for low-altitude logistics nationwide.
The license allows Meituan's drones to begin regular commercial drone delivery services across the nation. The company has opened 64 drone delivery routes in major cities and completed over 600,000 orders.
The service offers customers a wide selection of products and spans a variety of locations, ranging from offices, residential areas and libraries to tourist spots.
In the global delivery drones market, the Asia-Pacific region will witness the highest growth while China has been the largest market, according to a report from market research company Mordor Intelligence.
Increasing support from authorities responsible for commercial drone operations is propelling the growth of drone delivery operations in the region, the report added.
