Drone sends medical supplies from Hong Kong Island to Cheung Chau in 20 minutes

A new drone pilot project has cut the delivery time for urgent medical supplies to a Hong Kong hospital on an outlying island by two-thirds, from 65 minutes via ferry to 20 minutes by air.

The project, part of a low-altitude economy regulatory “sandbox” launched by the government in March, is a collaboration between the Hospital Authority and logistics firm SF Express, aiming to provide a faster and more efficient alternative to ferries, which are subject to scheduling constraints that could delay time-sensitive deliveries.

The route was a 12km (7.5 miles) flight from Cyberport in Southern district to St John Hospital on Cheung Chau. A sandbox is a space where software or new technology can be tried out in a pilot scheme or test environment.

In a video posted on Facebook by authorities on Sunday, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan, seen making an inspection on Cheung Chau, hailed the initiative as a leap forward, turning concepts into practical applications.

“When the low-altitude economy regulatory sandbox pilot projects were launched, they were merely concepts displayed at an exhibition booth. Our hope today is to see that ‘dream become a reality’,” Chan said.

“Although we have not yet reached commercial operation, we have already taken the crucial first step towards practical application.”

Kenny Lau, SF Express’s chief technology officer for Hong Kong and Macau, said drone delivery cut the travel time from Cyberport to Cheung Chau to just 20 minutes, a significant drop from the 45 to 65 minutes required by ferries.