Recently, Chongqing Postal Branch has launched and put into operation its first regular drone delivery route from Dajiang collection and delivery office to Zhongba Island in Banan district, Chongqing.

Zhongba Island lies in the Banan section of the Yangtze River. There are more than 3,000 residents on it, who mostly live on growing vegetables or fruits. Chongqing Banan Postal Branch has cooperated with a number of courier companies to jointly deliver mail and express items to the island. In 2023, it delivered a total of 27,000 items of different categories.

Before the operation of the drone delivery route, mail and express items had to be transported to the island by automobiles and then ferries, with each round-trip transport taking nearly three hours. With the drone delivery route, it can operate one flight a day if weather and airspace conditions permit. A drone can carry 100 kilos of items each time, and complete a round trip in less than 45 minutes. Relying on this route, Chongqing Postal Branch can deliver inbound mail items such as letters, newspapers, periodicals and parcels as well as express items from some courier companies to the island, and transport outbound mail items and farm produce out of the island. This is another effective initiative Chongqing Postal Branch has taken to integrate multiple resources and improve the efficiency of last mile delivery.