Southwestern China’s Kunming recently has followed the lead of pioneers like Shenzhen to set aside a strip of its airspace for drone delivery, Chinese media reported yesterday.
Aside from relaxing restrictions on its airspace, the city, which is the provincial capital of Yunnan, also decided to create five flight paths for the drone operation.
This step makes Kunming the second mainland Chinese city to approve of drone-powered delivery and logistics services, after Shenzhen.
According to an official plan, Kunming Urban Construction, the state-owned company behind the drone initiative, will operate five paths across the city for a number of applications.
They primarily include the delivery of blood products, human tissue samples, and emergency medical supplies in partnership with Beihang University Yunnan Innovation Institute.
To support the operation of a drone fleet, the company will also build a base station, aerial rescue command center, three small-sized vertipads and other facilities.
Additionally, it is expected to double down on the training of qualified drone operators and team up with organizations in smart city, infrastructure and tourism sectors to unlock opportunities of the so-called “low-altitude economy.”
These goals align with the endeavor of Kunming, a city nestled on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, to evolve into a drone powerhouse in China’s southwest and a pilot area for UAV activities.
