Following commercial operations in Dubai and Hong Kong, Meituan's drone services have reached another milestone.
On December 19, Meituan unveiled multiple new drone-related products, including a low-altitude aerial network, smart drone docking stations, and its latest-generation drones. Mao Yinian, Vice President of Meituan and Head of the Drone Business Unit, revealed that the company has now launched 65 drone routes across cities such as Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Dubai, completing 740,000 commercial orders to date.
The competitive landscape of instant retail has expanded into low-altitude logistics. On December 12, FlashEx inaugurated its first "reusable drone landing site" in Hangzhou, pioneering a new "air-ground coordination" model for same-city instant deliveries. In November, Taobao Quick Buy announced four drone routes on Huaniao Island in Zhejiang's Shengsi County for consumer and emergency deliveries. Earlier in October, JD Logistics disclosed plans to procure 3 million robots, 1 million unmanned vehicles, and 100,000 drones over the next five years to enhance its end-to-end logistics supply chain. Meanwhile, SF City is exploring synergies between drone technology and instant delivery through its parent company, SF Express.
Renowned economist Pan Helin, a member of the MIIT's Information and Communication Economy Expert Committee, noted that instant retail and delivery platforms are aligning with policy directives by exploring low-altitude logistics. However, he cautioned that unmanned delivery remains in its experimental phase, with market potential hinging on technological maturity and stability.
Drones have long been a strategic priority for Meituan. In a February 2023 internal restructuring memo, Meituan founder and CEO Wang Xing emphasized that drone operations and overseas ventures would report directly to him, signaling heightened focus on innovation and global expansion.
Since December 2022, Meituan has launched drone routes in Hong Kong and Dubai, followed by nighttime delivery services in Shenzhen this September. At the recent product launch, Meituan introduced the M-Port3 docking station, featuring a tree-like design with drone landing pads atop and meal pickup lockers below, equipped with robotic arms for precise (±1mm) handling.
The company also debuted its fourth-generation M4L long-range drone, boasting a 4.5kg payload, 20km range, and 24L cargo capacity—capable of transporting 200 blood samples or three 10-inch pizzas. Mao Yinian highlighted how drones optimize resource allocation by extending delivery radii and enabling cross-regional coordination via cloud-based dispatch, particularly alleviating peak-hour strain on stores.
For instance, drone deliveries accounted for 30% of a Shenzhen merchant’s holiday orders, spiking to 80% during peak periods. "Drones unlock demand in previously inaccessible areas like parks, campuses, and scenic spots," Mao noted, expressing optimism about low-altitude logistics' growth potential.
He drew parallels between infrastructure evolution—from railways to highways to the internet—and today’s drone-driven retail transformation. With consumers demanding sub-30-minute deliveries, Meituan is advancing its automated multi-tier service network, having already fulfilled 740,000 drone orders.
At Meituan’s October robotics conference, Mao revealed that the company’s drone orders had surpassed 670,000 by September, eclipsing Google’s Wing Aviation. The subsequent addition of 70,000 orders in under three months reflects a daily increase of nearly 800 orders.
China’s low-altitude economy has gained robust policy backing since early 2025, with directives from the National Postal Administration, Ministry of Transport, and NDRC supporting smart logistics, AI integration, and a "goods-before-people" approach in drone deployment.
The intensifying competition has spurred rivals into action. In October, SF City partnered with Wuhan Children’s Hospital for hybrid drone-ground blood transport, while JD Logistics announced massive robotics investments. Taobao Quick Buy activated island-specific drone routes in November, and Meituan completed Shanghai’s inaugural medical sample drone delivery on December 10.
FlashEx’s Low-Altitude Logistics Head Wei Jiahui shared that six drone routes in Hangzhou now bypass traffic congestion, charging standard rates for addresses within 2km of landing sites. "Users can opt for aerial express lanes for urgent deliveries," she added.
Industry forecasts paint a bullish picture: CICC Research projects China’s low-altitude economy to hit RMB1.5 trillion by 2025 (33.8% CAGR), while Zhongyan Puhua estimates RMB3.5 trillion by 2030, with drone logistics penetration exceeding 5%. Jiemian智库 predicts urban air mobility could claim 30% market share by 2035.
Everbright Securities analysts highlight three investment themes—drone logistics, eVTOLs, and low-altitude services—as policy and capital converge to scale the sector.
However, Pan Helin tempered expectations, noting that drones currently serve niche scenarios without disrupting the dominance of human couriers in instant retail. "Scalability hinges on cost parity and operational safety," he stressed.
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