Drone delivery uses small unmanned aircraft for last-mile (or even shorter, 100m–20km) goods delivery. Compared to traditional courier services, drone delivery has significant advantages in specific scenarios: speed (average delivery time 20–30 minutes, far below traditional courier’s 1–2 days); immune to ground traffic congestion; suited for hard-to-reach mountain areas, islands, and similar terrain.
## China’s Drone Delivery Map
**Meituan Drones**: currently China’s highest-commercialization drone delivery project. Operations: dozens of delivery stations built in Shenzhen (Longhua, Nanshan) and Beijing (Shunyi Beixiaoying), completing hundreds of thousands of commercial deliveries (as of 2025). Delivery range: ~3–5 km radius takeout delivery, weight limit ~3–6 kg. Altitude: below 120m (within ATC airspace application range). Product: proprietary multi-rotor VTOL drones supporting stable flight in adverse weather.
**SF Express**: focused on mountain area last-mile and emergency supply delivery. Fixed-wing drone delivery routes in mountainous Guangdong and Guizhou provinces (3–50 km, over mountains), partnering with local governments for rural e-commerce and agricultural input (pesticides, fertilizers) delivery.
**JD Logistics**: Southwest mountain and rural markets; fixed-wing drones (Pterodactyl series) for long-distance delivery; longest routes exceeding 100 km for remote area medical supply delivery.
## Commercialization Bottlenecks
**Regulation**: urban low-altitude flight rights approval remains the biggest constraint. Commercial operators like Meituan partner with CAAC and local governments, progressively advancing urban airspace normalization through “demonstration zone” models.
**Safety**: risks of drone malfunctions and falls threatening ground personnel. Progressively reducing risks through ground risk assessments (SORA methodology), safety distance controls over populated areas, and redundant safety mechanisms (dual motors, parachutes).
**Infrastructure**: urban delivery station location acquisition costs are high; charging/swapping infrastructure is not yet fully developed.
See [Low-Altitude Economy Overview](https://sunqi.org/low-altitude-economy-overview-en/) and [eVTOL Urban Air Mobility](https://sunqi.org/evtol-urban-air-mobility-en/).
