Meituan (3690) officially launched its first delivery route in Hong Kong this afternoon, as the Chinese on-demand delivery giant seeks new growth in overseas markets amid fierce domestic competition.

The first delivery route starts from Hong Kong Science Park in Sha Tin and ends at Ma On Shan Promenade, in where the drone flies 1.8 kilometers across the sea.

The drone delivery is estimated to cost about five minutes, versus 40 minutes used by human riders who need to drive 7.8 kilometers, said Keeta Drone, a team focusing on exploring drone delivery services under Meituan.

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun, attending the launching ceremony today, said Hong Kong will continue to facilitate the development of the low-altitude economy as fast as in the past year, and hopes the industries and lawmakers could work with the authorities.

Keeta has two partners — McDonald’s and Pizza Hut— for the drone delivery services for the time being, and users can find the drone-eligible sets by searching “drone” within the mobile application. Keeta charges HK$30 per drone order.

Taking a McDonald’s Burger Lover Combo set as an example, the drone delivery fee-included price is HK$86, while the deal costs HK$56 plus HK$8 delivery fee. For human delivery, if a user orders food worth HK$100 or above, the fee can be waived.

Now Keeta only offers one drone delivery route, given the current demand and the requirements of the government’s first phase sandbox pilot program that the company joined last year, said Mao Yinian, vice president of Meituan.

Mao said the HK$30 fee for drone delivery cannot cover the cost, just a level where the firm will not suffer too many losses.

Keeta Drone has run 55 drone flight routes in top-tier mainland cities since its establishment in 2017 and tapped into Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in December 2024.

It comes as mainland food delivery service providers are being caught in a new round of price war initiated by the newcomer JD.com (9618). Meituan also announced its expansion to Brazil with the Keeta brand last month.

In Hong Kong, Keeta Drone will explore more delivery scenarios involving sea and mountains, where drone delivery is theoretically more advantageous than human riders, said Mao.

Keeta Drone also eyes the potential demand for delivering medical samples and diagnoses, the consumers of which are less price-sensitive, said Mao.

Whether to launch more new routes and expand the delivery areas, Mao said it depends on the actual demand and supply and progress of law amendments in Hong Kong.

Mao noted that Hong Kong authorities could refer to the law practices about the low-altitude economy in Shenzhen, the most aggressive city in trialing new technologies.

Themis Qi

Keeta's drone flies across the sea near Science Park in Sha Tin. Photo by Keeta

Meituan's Keeta launches first drone delivery route in Hong Kong, charges HK$30 per order