Drone Delivery Enters City Centers: Meituan Drones Surpass 100,000 Daily Orders
Meituan's drone delivery network announces coverage of 10 cities' core areas with daily orders exceeding 100,000, officially marking the year of low-altitude economy.
Urban drone delivery has ushered in a year of large-scale deployment in 2027. Meituan's drone business released data this week showing its low-altitude delivery network has covered core areas of 10 cities including Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Xi'an, and Chongqing, with daily orders exceeding 100,000.
Technology Upgrade
Meituan's fourth-generation delivery drone key specifications:
- Maximum payload: 5kg (covering 85%+ of food delivery orders)
- Maximum delivery radius: 5km
- Flight speed: 18m/s
- Wind resistance: Level 6
- Privacy noise: Below 55 decibels
Operating Model
Currently, drone delivery adopts a "pickup point to delivery point" relay model: merchants deliver food to the nearest takeoff/landing point, drones autonomously fly to the receiving address's nearby sky delivery station, then couriers or users self-pickup for the final 100 meters.
Meituan stated comprehensive delivery costs have reached parity with courier delivery, with profit and loss balance expected by 2028.
Regulatory Progress
The low-altitude economy's booming development has also driven regulatory innovation. The Civil Aviation Administration has approved low-altitude integrated flight trials in 16 cities, with airspace approval time reduced from an average of 45 days to 7 days.
Disclaimer
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