SF EXPRESS is reportedly the fist domestic company to obtain permission to use drones to make deliveries. Legal Daily comments:

As labor costs continue rising, drones have become an increasingly attractive choice for express delivery companies. JD, an online shopping giant with its own delivery channel, has been reportedly testing drones for that purpose.

However, the day when humans no longer make deliveries is yet to come.

Legally speaking, the permission obtained by SF Express does not allow it to deliver goods to customers directly using drones. According to the permission, the drones used by SF Express can only fly within a limited area, and they can only deliver goods to delivery stations, not customers. Whether, that will change in the future remains to be seen.

Civilian-use drones have not been so smart as to travel 100 percent safely in public spaces yet, and there are also worries about people intercepting them to steal goods. Worse, when drones fly too high, that might pose a threat to aircraft.

The safety concerns are so serious that some overseas researchers are investigating the feasibility of drones disintegrating in the air if they fall for any reason, so as to minimize the possible threat to humans and animals on the ground. US online commercial platform Amazon has even applied for a patent for such technology.

More enterprises are reportedly applying for permission to use drones, too, and we hope they will be sincere and honest with any safety problems found in their tests.

The supervisory department is thus right to be strict in giving permission for drone deliveries.

(China Daily 04/11/2018 page8)