China has successfully completed tests of a civilian unmanned aerial vehicle capable of carrying up to 3.2 tons of cargo. Manufacturers are confident in the prospects for high demand for such machines, so they are developing and testing ever larger drones.
The device, called SA750U, was developed by a drone manufacturer from the southern province of Hunan. A test flight lasting 40 minutes took place the day before, Reuters reports with reference to the Chinese newspaper Hunan Daily – the UAV is capable of operating at an altitude of up to 7300 m and flying up to 2200 km. Drone makers in the country, a world leader in the industry, are increasingly conducting test flights, and local authorities are easing restrictions on their use of airspace and offering incentives to boost the low-altitude economy. It is estimated that by 2030, this segment could grow into an industry with a turnover of 2 trillion yuan ($280 billion), four times higher than in 2023.
Two months ago, the state corporation Aviation Industry Corp of China tested a drone with a payload of 700 kg; and in early August, a private manufacturer in Sichuan province tested a device with a carrying capacity of 2 tons. Cargo drones promise to reduce delivery times and transportation costs; they can also take off and land at sites where traditional aviation infrastructure does not exist, such as on rooftops in densely populated cities. Commercial cargo transportation using drones has also begun to operate in China: in May, SF Express organized the delivery of fresh fruit from Hainan Island to Guangdong Province.