BEIJING: A novel scene is taking place during this year’s litchi season, with drones shuttling back and forth on the first low-altitude air route connecting South China’s Hainan and Guangdong provinces, bringing freshly picked fruit to foodies much faster.
Phoenix Wings, a cargo drone company operated by express delivery giant SF Group, initiated the interprovincial drone-delivery service for fresh fruit across the Qiongzhou Strait in late May, using Fengzhou-90 drones developed by SF.
This new mode of transport is 70 percent faster and 30 percent cheaper than conventional cross-sea transport, enhancing the delivery of fresh litchis and bringing economic benefits to both sides, according to Phoenix Wings. In addition to the litchi delivery route from Hainan’s capital Haikou to the coastal city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong, Phoenix Wings said it plans to develop more routes for the delivery of time-sensitive seasonal agricultural products.
The burgeoning drone-delivery field is a microcosm of China’s growing low-altitude economy, which has led to the development and application of various types of innovative aerial vehicles for logistics, commuting, tourism and even sports.
The low-altitude economy covers a variety of industries, including aircraft research and development, infrastructure construction and operation, and services for flight activities.
It is estimated that the market size of the low-altitude economy sector will surge from over 500 billion yuan ($70.3 billion) last year to 2 trillion yuan by 2030, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Chongqing, a mountainous municipality in Southwest China, intends to introduce diverse recreational activities related to low-altitude sports and tourism. The activities include parachuting, paragliding and sightseeing over the Yangtze River and the cityscape of Chongqing by balloon, helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
