Meituan delivers Big Macs from high in Shanghai

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Shanghai has launched China’s first drone delivery route dedicated to a single restaurant brand, enabling Meituan and McDonald’s to deliver meals via drones along the West Bund riverfront. This initiative supports Shanghai’s low-altitude economy ambitions and plans to expand aerial logistics across the city, with Meituan targeting significant growth in drone delivery services within the next few years.

Shanghai has introduced China’s first drone delivery route dedicated exclusively to a single catering brand, as food delivery giant Meituan and McDonald’s collaborate to launch the service along the city’s West Bund riverfront. The new operation began last week in Xuhui district, targeting both office workers and tourists frequenting the area.

The 3.1-kilometer drone route originates from a McDonald’s outlet in Xuhui and delivers meals directly to designated kiosks along the scenic waterfront, according to local authorities. The delivery drones, capable of carrying payloads up to 2.4 kilograms, complete their flights in about 10 minutes, providing a rapid alternative to traditional ground-based food delivery methods.

This initiative is part of Shanghai’s effort to advance its so-called low-altitude economy, which focuses on leveraging drone technology to transform urban logistics. Meituan’s vice-president, Mao Yinian, indicated the company aims to expand its drone delivery footprint rapidly and expects the business segment to reach large-scale “front-end profitability” within two to three years.

The Shanghai route represents Meituan’s second systematic urban aerial network, following its initial deployment in Shenzhen. The company plans to extend the aerial delivery network throughout Xuhui, connecting prominent landmarks and broadening service coverage. Currently, nearly 20 catering brands operate within the network, with Meituan projecting this figure to exceed 40 by year’s end.

Wei Qijun, Meituan’s national commercial manager for drone operations, emphasized the safety and reliability of the delivery system, citing a “99.999 percent safety factor” based on nine years of company research and testing. According to Wei, the drones are capable of operating under moderate rainfall, snow, and winds reaching Force 6 on the Beaufort scale, which denotes winds up to 49 kilometers per hour. He noted that in the event of extreme weather conditions, the drone fleet will automatically cease operation after fulfilling active delivery orders.

Meituan has been a front-runner in the competitive race to establish dominance in China’s evolving drone logistics market, competing against major players such as Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com. As of May, Meituan reported completing over 900,000 commercial drone deliveries, signaling significant progress toward integrating airborne logistics into everyday urban life.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.