Breaking Through the “Last Kilometer” of Low-Altitude Logistics on Islands
On the morning of December 25, at the first High-Quality Development Conference of the Low-Altitude Economy in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area held in Guangzhou, Guidelines for Unmanned Aircraft Express Delivery Services on Islands — the first provincial local standard in China dedicated to unmanned aircraft express delivery services in island scenarios — was officially released. Proposed by the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Post and compiled under the leadership of the Zhuhai Municipal Administration of Post, the standard shall come into force on March 10, 2026.
As a major maritime province, Guangdong boasts abundant island resources. The release and implementation of the Guidelines for Unmanned Aircraft Express Delivery Services on Islands is a crucial step for Guangdong to implement the national development strategy for the low-altitude economy, marking a new phase where low-altitude logistics on islands advances in a standardized manner with clear standards to follow. It not only provides a new approach to safeguarding and improving people’s livelihoods on islands and invigorating the marine economy, but also contributes valuable Guangdong Wisdom to the scenario innovation and standard construction of the national low-altitude economy.
The Guidelines for Unmanned Aircraft Express Delivery Services on Islands features three core highlights:
First, pioneering nature. As China’s first service standard for unmanned aircraft express delivery targeting island scenarios, it fills the gap in relevant standards in this field.
Second, localization with distinctive features. Closely aligned with the geographical and climatic characteristics of islands in Guangdong, it puts forward a full-chain and operable guidance covering four key sectors: service capacity guarantee, service provision, service safety, as well as service evaluation and improvement.
Third, emphasis on synergy. It provides a clear standardized pathway for cooperation between express delivery enterprises and unmanned aircraft operators, and a basis for innovating business models and clearly defining responsibilities, which is conducive to fostering a healthy and sustainable industrial ecosystem. The standard serves as both a clear operation manual and safety handbook for current enterprise operations, and also reserves room for future technological evolution, model innovation and service upgrading.
Centering on the special scenarios of islands, the Guidelines pioneered a full-chain service specification. From a service perspective, it provides systematic guidance for the entire process of express item receiving, packaging, transportation and delivery, as well as for operational entities, personnel, venues and data security, striving to create a Guangdong Model that can be referenced nationwide.
In response to the special challenges of islands such as frequent strong winds, high salt spray and complicated communication conditions, the standard sets guiding provisions for the site selection of take-off and landing control fields, the wind resistance capacity of unmanned aircraft, equipment anti-corrosion measures and emergency plans for extreme weather conditions.
To promote the development of industry benchmarks, facilitate industrial synergy and ecological expansion, the standard provides guidance on the division of powers and responsibilities, operational specifications and safety requirements for unmanned aircraft express delivery on islands, effectively addressing the industry-wide challenge of having no standards to follow.