Shunfeng won the logistics drone commercial trial run license

SF has been granted a commercial trial run license for logistics drones

SF has been granted a commercial trial run license for logistics drones. Recently, Fengbird Technology has formally obtained a trial run license and an operating license for feeder logistics drones. Express logistics drone layout ushered in new progress. SF has been granted a commercial trial run license for logistics drones.

Shunfeng was granted a commercial trial run license for logistics drones.1

Recently, Shunfeng's large-scale drone company, Fengbird Technology, announced that it had obtained the approval letter and operating license for the nation's first feeder logistics drone trial run issued by the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA), thus becoming the first company in the country to carry out a commercial trial run for a tonne-rated, large-industry load, long-endurance feeder logistics drone in a specific scenario.

Shunfeng's Fengbird Technology was founded in 2017, and in December 2021, Fengbird Technology finally went through the Civil Aviation Administration's various reviews, and finally passed the review and was approved for commercial trial operation of feeder logistics drones. After the approval, Feng bird technology award first in the northwest Yulin and other places to carry out feeder logistics transportation services.

According to the content of the operating license announced by Fengbird Technology, Fengbird Technology's scope of operation not only includes general aviation freight, but also includes aerial prospecting, aerial photography, marine monitoring, fisheries flights, aerial inspection and other businesses.

In addition, on January 24, SF's "prize" 560 aircraft in Ezhou Huahu Airport test flight is completed, which also marks the Ezhou Huahu Airport school flight subjects are completed. The results show that all the subjects of Ezhou Huahu Airport are qualified.

And in the end of the drone delivery field, SF's wing technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. announced the completion of hundreds of millions of dollars of A round of financing at the end of November last year. According to reports, FengYi Technology focuses on the end distribution logistics drone research and development and operation, and has carried out drone logistics services in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, the western region of Sichuan, Jinshan, Shanghai, the Greater Bay Area and many other places. As of 2021, Fengwing Technology's drones have been safely operated nearly one million times.

Whether it is a large manned transport aircraft or end delivery drones, or the much-anticipated national first regional logistics drone commercial trial license, have become the key to build a three-stage air transport network of SF. The industry has also analyzed that Shunfeng's layout in the field of air transport is far more than that of other domestic logistics enterprises.

If the large-scale manned transport aircraft represents the past and present, then the large-scale drones in the field of freight forwarding foothold, on behalf of the future of the logistics industry. Therefore, in recent years, the market layout of drone logistics has become increasingly tight.

Compared to traditional air transportation, drone transportation has unique advantages, especially in rural remote areas, drone flights are not subject to the traditional transportation routes on the terrain restrictions, at the same time, the drone's flight routes than the traditional road transportation line distance is shorter, suitable for emergency parts distribution.

Foresight Industry Research Institute released the "2021 China Logistics Drone Industry Market Status and Development Prospect Analysis" shows that, at present, the domestic logistics drone application is mainly in the rural and remote areas of the courier terminal distribution link, and is gradually to large-scale warehousing internal management, medium and long-distance feeder transportation and other scenarios to expand.

Consulting organization Frost& Sullivan's data shows that in 2023, the global urban air logistics and transportation market size is expected to reach $46 billion, of which the Chinese market reached $20.7 billion, accounting for about 45%, is expected to become the world's largest market. In this market, Shunfeng, Jingdong, Cainiao, Postal, Zhongtong, Rhyunda and so on are scrambling to layout.

January 25, when SF's "three-stage air transportation" has become a hot topic of discussion in the industry, Jingdong Logistics drone project has also come new news. According to the disclosure of Jingdong Logistics, Jingdong Logistics self-developed "Jingfly" rotary rotor feeder logistics UAV in recent days to carry out the relevant airworthiness subjects of the flight test, including highway takeoff, night flights and off-site transfer of three heavyweight subjects.

It is reported that the "Beijingfly" rotary rotor regional logistics UAV maximum takeoff weight of 500 kilograms, the maximum commercial load of 120 kilograms, covering a radius of 450km range of material distribution, with short takeoff and landing capabilities, does not rely on the airport runway.

Jingdong Logistics pointed out that this means that the Jingdong Logistics feeder air logistics will be able to get rid of the airport and runway restrictions, you can rely on the temporary take-off and landing points around the warehouse, to solve the large number of goods from the warehouse center to the sorting center, or from the sorting center to the distribution station of the rapid transport needs.

Jingdong Logistics also revealed that it is expected to obtain the airworthiness license, the second half of this year can be remote areas of the townships and villages to bring the appropriate logistics services.

In addition to the "Jingfly" rotary rotor feeder logistics drone, Jingdong Logistics in the end of the field of small drones also has a layout, in recent years, many times to participate in the transportation of rescue supplies. 2020 the end of the year, Jingdong JDY-800 "Jinghong" cargo-type fixed-wing drones, the "Jinghong" fixed-wing drones.

The rookie side also began a few years ago the layout of the drone transportation. 2015, the rookie set up the ET logistics laboratory, focusing on unmanned warehouse, unmanned vehicles, drones and other automation technology research.

Based on the research and development in the field of drones, the rookie unmanned helicopter has helped the Lion Mountain Longjing Tea Plantation to transport tea down from the mountain, and participated in the 618 express delivery in 2019, when the rookie unmanned helicopter with the suspension of the logistics container flew from Zhanjiang, Guangdong, to the vicinity of Xiuying Harbor, Haikou, Hainan, the whole journey of 32 kilometers, taking 25 minutes.

SF has been granted a commercial trial run license for logistics drones.2

Fengbird Technology has formally obtained a trial run license for feeder logistics drones and a license to operate them. The drone layout of express logistics ushered in new progress. According to Shunfeng Group's WeChat public number on January 25, Shunfeng's large-scale drone company, Fengbird Technology, has obtained the trial run license and business license for feeder logistics drones issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). This marks the first company in China that can carry out commercial trial operation of a large tonnage, long endurance feeder logistics drone under specific scenarios, and the first large drone company in the world to obtain regulatory approval for commercial trial operation of feeder logistics using scenario-specific operational risk assessment methods.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) had issued the "Regulations on the Administration of Trial Runs of Specific Classes of Drones (Provisional)" in February 2019, whereby volunteer applicants will be approved for the implementation of trial runs of drones under certain typical operational scenarios.

Fengbird Technology took the lead in landing the verification operation practice for feeder logistics scenarios based on the Specific Operational Risk Assessment (SORA) methodology, and passed the CAAC's final review in December 2021 after multiple reviews including initial review, document review, and on-site subject validation, according to SF Group news. After the approval, Fengbird Technology will take the lead in carrying out feeder logistics transportation services in Yulin, Northwest China, to help Shunfeng Group build a three-stage air transportation network of "large-scale manned transport aircraft, large-scale feeder UAVs and terminal delivery UAVs", and then expand the scope of the trial run under the supervision and guidance of CAAC in a timely manner, and gradually establish a network of connecting lines.

Future industry requirements standards or further improve

Drone project commercial operation approved by SFG is not the first case.

Previously, according to Qianjiang Evening News, on October 15, 2019, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued a Letter of Approval for Trial Operation of Specific Classes of Unmanned Aircraft and a License to Operate Drone Logistics and Distribution to Hangzhou Delivery Bar Logistic Technology Co. which belongs to Xun Ant. Ltd. This is the first class-specific UAV trial run project in China that has completed operational risk assessment and verification since the release of CAAC's "Specific Class UAV Trial Run Management Regulations (Interim)" and the new policy of "release of administrative services" for business licenses, and it is also the first project in the world to obtain approval for urban scenario UAV logistics trial run. During the trial run, the company will provide safe and efficient transportation of medical emergency supplies and same-city instant delivery services within Hangzhou using an aerial distribution network.

In addition to the application of the distribution end of the drone project, in the field of feeder logistics drones, together with the Shunfeng Group in the competition for the development of Zhongtong Express.

In December last year, China Express and Sichuan Horizon Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. jointly operated Hongyan (HY100) large-scale cargo drones in Xinjiang to complete the flight length of 2 hours range of nearly 500 kilometers of cargo flights, is the first time that large-scale feeder logistics drones of China Express to carry cargo flights, and also is the opening of China Express in the country's first normalized drone feeder logistics operation routes.

It is reported that the flight of the Hongyan (HY100) UAV is currently one of the largest civil UAV transport aircraft in China. 2020, November, Hongyan (HY100) UAV issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China's UAS design and production authorization letter "DPA0001", China's first large-scale UAV through the airworthiness certification. It is the first large-scale UAS in China to have passed airworthiness validation, and in June 2021, it was approved for the Tiemenguan-Arar UAS regional logistics operation route. At present, the two sides have cooperated to complete the construction of the operation system based on the UAV feeder logistics scenario.

Jin Renqun, vice president of China Express Group, said that the HY100 drone has the advantages of large payload, large cargo space, short takeoff and landing distances, and stable performance, and through all-around, multi-level and three-dimensional planning, it is very suitable for organizing a runway for drone operation on the existing site of the distribution center of the express enterprise, and the company will next build a temporary takeoff and landing point for the distribution site to report the idea to the CAAC. The company will then report the idea of building a temporary take-off and landing point at the distribution site to the Civil Aviation Administration, and strive for the support and permission of the relevant industry authorities.

Zhongtong Express related business personnel introduced to the surging news reporter, "Zhongtong Express large-scale feeder logistics drones currently belong to the commercial trial operation, has not yet obtained the official qualification of civil aviation. The first is shunfeng, shunfeng is also doing commercial trial operation before being licensed."

The source said, SF's breakthrough, marking the future of the industry requirements standards will be further improved, only large and powerful enterprises can be certified. The company will accelerate the exploration of the wide application of large drones in logistics scenarios in the future, and further promote the construction of a new three-dimensional intelligent logistics network.

Progress of the layout of the courier company drones: still in the mapping stage

The exploration of drone applications is more focused on the distribution side.

Yuan Tong Express related personnel said to the surging news reporter, due to the drone loading capacity is relatively limited, at present in the field of express logistics, the drone is applied to the last kilometer, especially in rural areas of the distribution is more.

According to the surging news reporter understands, at present, Yuantong Express has a national engineering laboratory, the external display will have a drone, but the actual use of very little in the business. Shentong Express drone application is still in the groping stage, the polar rabbit courier and the Best Group has not yet involved in the field of drones.

Previously, in an interview with Surfing News, the president of the global express company UPS Asia-Pacific and the president of FedEx China have revealed the layout of their respective drones, said that at present, they are only in the United States to carry out the `trial run' of the drone business, the specific program is still being explored.

Wu Dongming, CEO of DHL Express China, has said that DHL Express released the first fully automated intelligent drone logistics solution in China with Yihang*** in 2019. The first route from DHL Express China's Liao Bu service center in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, to Songshan Lake area, the whole flight is about 8 kilometers, the maximum load of 5 kg of express parcels. One-way delivery time from 40 minutes to 8 minutes, reducing operating costs up to 80%, suitable for flexible high-frequency short- and medium-distance end of the city distribution customer needs. It is understood that the drone logistics solutions are still in trial operation.

Shunfeng was granted a commercial trial run license for logistics drones3

The commercialization of logistics drones is one step further.

On January 25, Shunfeng Group officially announced that its large-scale drone company, Fengbird Technology, has officially obtained the trial run license and business license for regional logistics drones issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). This also means that Fengbird Technology has become the first company in China that can carry out commercial trial operation of tonnage large industry load, long endurance feeder logistics drones in specific scenarios.

Fengbird Technology officially obtained the trial run license and business license for the feeder logistics drone Image source: enterprise for the picture

On the same day, the Daily Economic News reporter learned from Jingdong Logistics that the self-developed Jingfly rotary rotor feeder logistics drone was recently launched to fly the relevant airworthiness subjects. Recently, the relevant airworthiness subjects flight test, including highway takeoff, night flight and off-site transfer three heavyweight subjects.

In the past two years, compared to the initial drone stay in the laboratory and "black technology" level, the logistics field of drone application scenarios are being broadened: on the one hand, the epidemic inspired unmanned distribution needs, on the other hand, SF, Jingdong Logistics and other enterprises in the large-scale drone application scenarios continue to explore.

The development momentum is good, but for a long time, by the policy, regulations and technology and other factors, the commercial operation of drones and large-scale landing, was judged to still need time. Now with the birth of the world's first regional logistics drone trial run permit and operating permit, logistics drone further commercialization landing and market competition or is pressing the accelerator button.

Liu Dacheng, vice president of Tsinghua University's Internet Industry Research Institute and director of the Logistics Industry Research Center, said in an interview with a reporter from the Daily Economic News that the cost of large-scale feeder logistics drones and the cost of construction is much lower than that of conventional transport corridors, and has a certain degree of cost-effectiveness. Coupled with China's vast territory, especially in remote areas, the demand for drone transportation is high, so the market value and potential is huge.

2022, will be the first year of commercial operation of feeder logistics drones? This pioneering and groundbreaking new initiative of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) may be of great significance to the future rapid development of the industry. The development of large-scale drone technology and the commercial application of logistics and transportation scenarios will also promote the construction of comprehensive air logistics and smart logistics.

The world's first feeder logistics drone license was born

The CAAC's "Specific Classes of Drone Trial Run Management Regulations (Interim)" released in February 2019 proposed the use of Specific Operational Risk Assessment (SORA) methodology to formulate the validation requirements for the approval of trial runs. Toyobird Technology took the lead in landing the validation operation practice for feeder logistics scenarios based on the Specific Operation Risk Assessment (SORA) method, and passed the final review by the CAAC in December 2021 after multiple stages of review, including initial review, document review, and on-site subject validation. This is the first time in the world that Toyobird Technology has been approved for commercial trial operation of a feeder logistics drone through this evaluation method.

The relevant license issued by CAAC to Fenbird Image Source: Corporate Contribution

SF said that after approval, Fenbird will take the lead in carrying out feeder logistics transportation services in Yulin, Northwest China, and other places, which will help SF Group to build a three-stage air transportation service, namely, "large-scale manned transport aircraft, large-scale feeder drones, and terminal delivery drones", which will be the first in the world.

In fact, Shunfeng has been exploring the field of unmanned air logistics for many years. As early as 2012, Shunfeng Chairman Wang Wei put forward the idea of unmanned aircraft logistics, and since 2013, Shunfeng began to comprehensively carry out the construction of unmanned aircraft logistics in a variety of ways, such as joint ventures, investment, and self-research. 2017, the establishment of Fengbird Technology, which is also a large-scale unmanned aircraft technology and service provider under the banner of Shunfeng.

2020 "double 11", shunfeng said, during the promotion period, shunfeng overall express digestive capacity will be up to 2 times that of the weekdays, in the aviation network and other aspects of the new mode of operation has also increased. In terms of aviation capacity, in addition to the operation of its own 60 all-cargo aircraft, but also increased the drone transportation mode.

Over the past two years, SF's layout in aviation and drones has begun to accelerate.

In March 2021, Fengbird Technology announced the completion of the A round of financing, jointly invested by Chongqing Two Rivers Aviation Investment Group and China Investment Merchants, and SF is still the controlling shareholder of Fengbird Technology; in November, SF's terminal distribution drone company "Fengwing Technology" announced the completion of hundreds of millions of dollars of A round of financing, focusing on the end of the delivery logistics The company's end distribution drone company "Feng Yi Technology" announced in November completed hundreds of millions of dollars of A round of financing, focusing on end distribution logistics research and development and operation of drones.

In terms of mainline large-scale manned transport aircraft, SF Airlines fleet size of 68, is currently the largest domestic fleet of cargo airlines. 2022 January 24, SF Huahu Airport announced the completion of the school flight, the test flight work on the schedule.

Some industry insiders said, with the "Feng bird technology" and "Feng wing technology" successive financing, as well as SF investment in the construction of the Ezhou Huahu cargo airport is about to fly, SF layout in the field of aviation significantly accelerated. With the construction of the "three-segment air transportation network", SF's operating costs and efficiency will be significantly improved.

Although the birth of the world's first regional drone operating license is exciting in the industry, but the capital market performance is weak. As of the close of business on January 25, Shunfeng shares closed at 63.11 yuan, down 3.40% from the previous day.

Closed loop has appeared? Shunfeng run, Jingdong code Logistics air war continues to escalate

In addition to Shunfeng, aviation and drones have also been the head of the logistics industry enterprises in the military.

As early as 2018, Jingdong put forward the "trunk line - branch line - terminal" three-level intelligent logistics system layout to meet the different application scenarios under the distribution efficiency maximization.

The Daily Economic News reporter noted that on August 3, 2021, Jingdong's Jiangsu Jingdong Cargo Aviation Co. Ltd. was approved, officially forming a three-legged situation with Yuantong Airlines and SF Airlines.

Although it does not yet have a self-built fleet, the main air transport of cargo aircraft is also achieved by chartering and leasing, but according to Jingdong's public global super port project planning, it is expected that the fleet size in 2025 to reach 114, cargo and mail throughput of 2.33 million tons; in 2045, the fleet size to reach 501, cargo and mail throughput of 8.1 million tons.

It is worth mentioning that the reporter was previously informed by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Transportation that it is expected that in the first quarter of 2022, Jingdong Cargo will take off from Nantong, and after the opening of the flight, it will create a logistics transit center in East China. This planning can be traced back to December 20, 2018, when the Nantong Municipal Government signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with BOE Group.

On January 25th, the self-developed "Jingfly" rotary rotor feeder logistics UAV of BOE Logistics has recently carried out the flight test of relevant airworthiness subjects, including highway takeoff, night flight and off-site transfer of three heavyweight subjects.

Jingdong Logistics told reporters that it is expected to obtain an airworthiness license, the second half of this year, the remote areas of the townships, rural areas to provide logistics services. "Jingfly" rotary rotor feeder logistics UAV is the second feeder logistics UAV independently developed and designed by BOE Logistics. Compared with the end of the Jingdong Logistics small drones, "Jingfly" rotary rotor feeder logistics drones to solve a large number of goods from the warehouse center to the sorting center, or from the sorting center to the distribution station of the rapid transport needs.

And ten days ago (January 14), a fuselage painted Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games main image of the color "rainbow purple" and "Asian Games" Boeing B767-300ERF aircraft landed in Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, officially joined the fleet of Yuantong Airlines. It officially joined the fleet of Yuantong Airlines. This is also the first wide-body freighter introduced by Yuantong Airlines. The company's layout in the aviation market has been stable for many years, and its own fleet of aircraft has begun to take shape.

With the three-tier, three-segment air transportation network as a model, there is a first-mover advantage of SF, and backed by the Jingdong Group and has a stable business flow of Jingdong Airlines has become the number one player on the track. The entry of Jingdong Airlines has also been "Feng bird" air war has become more hot.

Logistics "four nullification" line far into the depths of the logistics industry into a new round of arms race

Looking at the entire logistics industry, alone in terms of intelligent logistics, its development so far has formed the "four nullification" development direction, that is, the development of the "four nullification" direction, the "four nullification" development direction, that is, the "four nullification" development direction.

And the drone as the "four nothing" in the most important component, coupled with the commercialization of the scale of landing easy to operate, has been walking in the queue of the leading technology, around the layout of the drone is also the head of the logistics enterprises and large-scale integrated logistics service providers of the regular action.

The scale of the market is also showing the huge potential of drones in a macro way. According to a research report released by L.E.K. Consulting, with unmanned technology and network scale greatly reducing costs, by 2040, drones may account for 30% of same-day package delivery.

Liu Dacheng, vice president of Tsinghua University's Internet Industry Research Institute and director of the Logistics Industry Research Center, said in an interview with the reporter of the "Daily Economic News" that the core reason for the prosperity of the feeder logistics drone ecosystem is that feeder logistics carries fewer categories of goods and delivery volumes, and the flow, flow direction has a high degree of uncertainty, coupled with the high cost of commonly used transportation channels. The overall cost-effectiveness is not strong. In contrast, the cost of large-scale feeder logistics drones is lower than that of conventional transportation channels, and has a certain cost-effective and market potential.

Liu Dacheng also believes that logistics hub nodes are often commercial hub nodes, from the pipeline to the railroad to the highway, air transport in the direction of the route establishment and other natural deterministic advantages, so large-scale feeder logistics drones can effectively promote the operation of the logistics hub between.

The "four no's" of logistics is an important driving force for the transformation of the logistics industry from labor-intensive to technology-intensive. GLP's strategic advisor, Dong Zhonglang, Managing Partner of Hidden Mountain Capital, has previously pointed out that the best logistics company in the future must be a technology company, a technology company in the guise of logistics. In the future, technology will cut across the logistics industry, and data and AI-driven logistics assets will bring operational efficiency and revolutionize the old logistics landscape.

In this regard, Liu Dacheng y agreed, he believes that "big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence on the logistics industry empowerment and reconstruction from four parts. One part is perception, from passive perception to active perception; the second part is transmission, from the original point to point into a group to group that can form a network; the third is decision-making, from people slowly into the artificial intelligence stage; the fourth is the implementation, that is, the production and transportation links from the less manned, unmanned gradually evolved into automation.

"And no matter from perception to transmission to decision-making, and ultimately to implementation, the intervention of science and technology for is still to meet the supply and demand between more accurate matching, while reducing resource consumption." Liu Dacheng told reporters.

In any case, along with the logistics "four nothing" development trend, the reconstruction of the logistics industry of science and technology has entered a new cycle, in the process, the logistics head of the enterprise scramble to compete in each segment of the battlefield, from land transport to air war, based on their respective business and strategic needs, together with the competition for a wider range of science and technology, The aviation market.