In the history of human development, there have been three transportation revolutions accompanied by human technological revolutions. From the application of steam power on land, to petroleum driven road transportation and propeller planes, and then to the development of high-speed railways and jet passenger planes.

Now, we are ushering in the "fourth revolution" in the field of transportation.

In June 2023, the State Council and the Central Military Commission announced the Provisional Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"), which will be implemented from January 1, 2024. As the first specialized administrative regulation for the management of unmanned aerial vehicles in China, the Regulations, in line with the concept of promoting the healthy and orderly development of the unmanned aerial vehicle industry, standardize the flight and related activities of unmanned aerial vehicles, define and clarify the management of unmanned aerial vehicles, and trigger a new round of public attention to the field of "low altitude economy".

How urban air delivery can become the driving engine for low altitude economic development

As a basic infrastructure for social operation, delivery services are extending to the sky and becoming the core engine driving the development of low altitude economy.

In the long river of history, the sky carries the imagination of human development. With the continuous iteration of technology and the lowering of the threshold for "heaven", it provides space for better solutions in various fields.

The value potential of the sky is never limited to aerial photography and surveying. For major countries with transportation infrastructure, low altitude economy plays a more important role in promoting social development. On the one hand, utilizing the development model of "low altitude economy+industry", promoting the application of drones in specific fields such as agriculture and fire protection; On the other hand, in the current situation where ground transportation is approaching saturation, urban transportation is undergoing a disruptive "revolution".

The transportation problem in big cities has a long history. On July 7, 2023, the Hangzhou Municipal Commission of Urban and Rural Development responded to Proposal No. 299 of the Second Session of the 12th Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stating: "For mega cities like Hangzhou, the daily travel frequency of residents is at the level of millions. Relying on ground motor vehicles for transportation, no matter how to optimize the ground expressway transportation network, it is difficult to solve the current congestion problem, except for the difficulties of citizens' travel.", The obstruction of urban transportation also hinders the improvement of logistics efficiency. The inability to meet the time requirements for ground transportation, personnel travel rush, and item transportation may result in adverse consequences during medical rescue and emergency item transportation.

In August 2022, the Civil Aviation Administration of China organized the drafting of the "Roadmap V1.0 for the Development of Unmanned Civil Aviation" (hereinafter referred to as the "Roadmap") and solicited opinions from the industry and the public. The roadmap proposes that drones should establish a sound management system, improve regulations and standards, and form a development path of first carrying cargo and then passengers, first general use and then transportation, and first isolation and then integration. Obviously, the current development of urban air logistics is not only one of the basic constructions for the development of urban low altitude economy, but also has reference and reuse value for future manned transportation.

"Regulations": From Preparation to Release: Urban Air Delivery Begins to Open

During the seven or eight years in which the Regulations were brewing, Antwork also experienced the growth and changes of itself and the industry firsthand.
In 2018, the first urban high-density delivery flight in the industry
In September 2016, Antwork and China Post collaborated to open the first drone postal route in Qiguan Village, Anji, Zhejiang, ending the history of motorcycle delivery of mail and express delivery in Qiguan Village. In the subsequent exploration, Antwork started from this and gradually began to cooperate with mainstream e-commerce and express delivery companies, expanding express delivery routes to dozens and launching a strategic layout of "surrounding cities from rural areas".
In 2018, after more than a year of verification of express delivery, Antwork chose to start the trial operation of urban scene delivery in Hangzhou Future Science and Technology City. By connecting to brands such as Starbucks and KFC, the service has radiated to the entire Future Technology City and successfully passed the peak delivery pressure test of 400 orders per day, becoming a beautiful scenery in this innovative highland. Antwork has become the first domestic enterprise to carry out large-scale operation of urban drone delivery.

In 2019, the world's first urban drone logistics license was issued
On October 15, 2019, the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued the "Approval Letter for Specific Class Drone Trial Operation" and "Drone Delivery Business License" to Hangzhou Songba Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Antwork, becoming the first specific class drone trial operation project in China to complete SORA operation risk assessment and verification work, and also the first project in the world to obtain approval for urban scenario drone delivery trial operation. With the support of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Antwork has become a leading enterprise in the development of urban air delivery.

Afterwards, Antwork began exploring the commercial practice of drone delivery and targeted the transportation of medical supplies with high timeliness and high added value. From October 2019 to March 2021, Antwork conducted experimental delivery of drone medical supplies in more than ten medical institutions in Zhejiang Province, and opened the regular blood delivery route for drones at SAHZU for the first time in March 2021. In the battle against the epidemic, the rapid ants have expanded multiple application scenarios, including epidemic prevention and normalized medical transportation, by combining the practical application of the epidemic. During this period, medical logistics business expanded to more than ten provinces and cities across the country, and achieved rapid development with an annual increase of 300% in flight volume.

In 2022, the industry's first set of urban drone delivery standards
As the main drafting unit, Antwork, under the guidance of relevant departments, has led the drafting and release of multiple industry standards, including "Classification of Distributed Operation and Operation Levels for Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems", "Technical Requirements for Delivery Electric Multi rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Light and Small) Systems in Urban Scenarios", and "Delivery Route Planning Specification for Light and Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Urban Scenarios", This provides a reference benchmark for the standardized operation of urban drone delivery across the industry.

During the process of formulating the Regulations, Antwork also participated for a long time and received multiple on-site investigations from legislative working groups such as the Ministry of Justice, Civil Aviation Administration, and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Some feedback opinions were ultimately included in the text of the Regulations.

Low altitude economy: from "walking alone" to "shining brightly"

The release of the Regulations has raised the threshold for entry into the industry, which is not only a challenge but also an opportunity for explorers of the low altitude economy.

The Regulations have put forward higher requirements for standardized management of products and operations related to commercial flights. But at the same time, a mechanism for low altitude suitable airspace below 120 meters has been established, simplifying the approval process and opening up vast space for low altitude operations. Light and small drones with a takeoff weight of less than 25kg, represented by Antwork, do not require airworthiness certification according to the relevant provisions of the Regulations. The relevant products meet the product certification and registration requirements stipulated by laws, regulations and national standards, and can be used for related applications.

In fact, Antwork has already established a business model for urban air delivery through its own exploration. In the past five years, Antwork has gradually gained partners in various fields through its exploration from the lonely "rural to urban" areas, and has been able to replicate and expand the "low altitude economy+" model, applying it to ToB's medical samples, emergency blood, emergency rescue, Asian Games support, park distribution and other scenarios.

After the official implementation of the 2024 regulations, drone delivery will be further developed, and Antwork will accelerate its coverage of 100 cities nationwide, and establish a large-scale and systematic urban air logistics network in various regions. Through the construction of urban air delivery infrastructure, the application of ToB scenarios is extended to ToC, truly empowering the vast audience with the changes brought by urban air delivery to life, and bringing more efficient and convenient logistics solutions to society.

The Roadmap proposes that by 2025, the end of the line delivery and distribution scenarios for short distance, low-speed, light and small cities (with a takeoff weight of less than 25kg) will gradually mature, and the application of medium and long-distance delivery and distribution in cities will gradually begin; The peer-to-peer operation network within the city is increasingly forming.



Antwork and a group of fellow travelers are walking step by step along the roadmap envisioned by the planners. Antwork is not satisfied with the label of being the pioneer of urban air logistics, but should embrace the future. As a down-to-earth builder, they should devote themselves wholeheartedly to the large-scale construction of urban air delivery.