Drone food delivery launches at Chung On Estate
AM730 · 3 SOURCES1 day ago5 MIN
Summary
A drone food delivery route linking Hong Kong Science Park and Chung On Estate in Ma On Shan has officially started operation, bringing the service into a public housing estate for the first time in Hong Kong. Housing Secretary Winnie Ho Wing-yin (何永賢) said the government is seeking to use about 200 public rental housing estates across the city as pilot settings for low-altitude economy projects and to turn public housing into an innovation nursery base. At the launch event, drones flew from Science Park, crossed Tolo Harbour and landed at a smart locker below Chung Wo House, where residents could scan a QR code to collect orders without leaving the estate. Officials and residents, including kindergarten pupils, were invited to watch and try the service, while the operator said newer aircraft have cut noise by about 75% and do not store ground images.
Key Points
- Operator Keeta said the route starts from the 8W take-off site at Science Park and reaches the smart locker below Chung Wo House within minutes
- The service introduced Luckin Coffee as a new merchant on the route, with drones carrying coffee and cake to the estate
- Ho said the Housing Bureau wants to leverage the application scenarios of about 200 public housing estates to support low-altitude economy trials.
- Ho attended the launch with Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan and lawmakers Elizabeth Quat and Wilson Or Chong-shing.
- According to Keeta, the latest drones use self-developed quiet propellers, reducing noise by about 75%, and carry no facial-recognition equipment
Why It Matters
For residents, the route could widen food choices from the Science Park area while avoiding the longer road journey caused by local terrain constraints. For policymakers, the project offers a real-world test of how public housing estates can host low-altitude logistics and other technology applications in everyday community settings.