Keeta launches first drone delivery route in HK

Keeta, a subsidiary food delivery brand of Meituan, has officially launched its first drone delivery route in Hong Kong, charging HK$30 per order, as part of its growing ambition to expand overseas amid fierce competition within the food delivery market.

This follows the Hong Kong government's initiative to develop a low-altitude economy, launched late last year to expand flying activities and create new growth opportunities. In February, the interdepartmental working group on developing low-altitude economy (發展低空經濟工作組) reviewed applications for the first batch of pilot projects in the regulatory sandbox.

The new route of Keeta Drone in Hong Kong is set in a "cross-sea + park" (跨海+公園) scenario, with drones taking off from Hong Kong Science Park in Sha Tin and landing at the Ma On Shan Promenade. The drone delivery is estimated to take about five minutes, versus 40 minutes used by human riders who need to drive 7.8 kilometers, according to the release. Currently, local businesses connected to the service include McDonald's and Pizza Hut.

Regarding the choice of the "cross-sea + park" scenario for its first route, Keeta Drone sees it as a typical setting in Hong Kong. With complex terrains, including mountains and oceans, as well as various natural attractions where ground delivery is difficult, drones can bypass terrain obstacles, effectively addressing many previous delivery challenges.

Additionally, the brand believes that drone delivery has the potential to complement existing methods, such as walking and cycling, handling more orders that are difficult to fulfill due to time or geographical constraints.

In terms of future developments, Keeta Drone will start from Hong Kong Science Park and gradually launch routes to residential areas in Ma On Shan and other mobile port locations. It aims to promote more application scenarios, continually expand its service range, improve service quality, and provide Hong Kong residents with more convenient drone delivery services.

Deputy financial secretary Michael Wong, who attended the launching ceremony last Friday (6 June), said that the government will continue to explore how to meet the funding needs of the low-altitude economy and plans to further relax relevant policies to provide necessary infrastructure support, according to HK01. 

Mao Yinian, vice president of Meituan, said: “To successfully launch drone delivery services in Hong Kong, Keeta Drone submitted its application immediately after the low-altitude economic regulatory sandbox was announced in November 2024. We provided detailed operational plans, test reports, and third-party verification regarding the safety, scheduling capabilities, privacy protection, and communication abilities of drone delivery. Ultimately, we were selected as part of the first batch of sandbox projects.”

“During the sandbox trial period, we fully cooperated with regulatory requirements, continuously conducting tests on safety, privacy, and signal to ensure that our services meet all relevant safety, operational, and technical standards,” Mao added. 

Established in 2017, Keeta Drone is a Meituan team focused on exploring drone delivery services. As of March 2025, it has launched 55 routes in cities such as Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Nanjing. With the capability to deliver over 90,000 products, Keeta Drone has completed more than 520,000 orders across various scenarios, including offices, communities, and tourist attractions, according to the release.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Keeta for more information. 

Don’t miss: Keeta and LUBUDS redefine premium food delivery with new partnership

Back in April, Keeta and LUBUDS Group, the homegrown culinary group, partnered up to elevate premium food delivery service for exquisite meals, aiming to replicate the quality of restaurant dining for discerning consumers.

This partnership focuses on three key areas including leveraging big data for consumer trend analysis, advancing food delivery packaging, and elevating the delivery experience.

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