China’s First National Standard for Express Delivery Service by Unmanned Aircraft Goes Into Effect January 1, 2021

The Specification for Express Delivery Service by Unmanned Aircraft (the “Standard”) issued by the State Post Bureau of PRC will be effective from January 1st, 2021. The Standard was jointly formulated by industry-leading players including EHang, JD.com, and ZTO Express. As China’s first industry standard for express delivery service by unmanned aircrafts, the implementation of the Standard is of great significance for improving the last-mile delivery service, ensuring the safety of operations, as well as promoting the development of intelligent aerial logistics of urban air mobility (“UAM”) industry.

The Standard is applicable to express delivery services by unmanned aircrafts with a maximum empty aircraft weight of 116kg, a maximum takeoff weight of 150kg, and an airspeed of no greater than 100km/h. Moreover, it specifies the service entities, conditions, procedures, assessments, safety issues and compensation of express delivery by unmanned aircrafts, which provides a standard reference for postal express companies and drone operators to engage in drone delivery services in the future.

As the world’s leading autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company and the UAM industry pioneer, EHang has proprietarily developed a complete suite of intelligent aerial logistics solutions, including the EH216L heavy-lift AAV for short-to-medium-haul aerial transport, the Falcon medium-sized AAV for urban express delivery, the unmanned aircraft systems, take-off and landing control sites and intelligent self-express service machines. With abundant operating experience, service workflow and practical data, EHang made significant contribution to the groundbreaking for the Standard based on its industry expertise and valuable insights.

With the implementation of the Standard, EHang will continue to accelerate regular operations of its intelligent AAV technologies for aerial logistics and provide customized solutions for clients from various sectors including logistics, retail, e-commerce and offshore oil and gas by helping them improve efficiency at lower costs.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.