(Yicai Global) Jan. 26 -- A unit of Chinese courier SF Express has become the first in China to obtain a license to test regional unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China issued the license to SF UAS yesterday, its Shenzhen-based parent company said in a statement posted on WeChat the same day. The CAAC also issued the unit with a permit to operate a general aviation business.

SF UAS will trial commercial operations of regional logistics drones, carrying tonnage over long distances in Yulin city and other areas in the country’s northwest. The pilot area will be expanded later, with the aim of building an air transport network with SF Express consisting of large manned cargo planes, large branch UAVs, and end-delivery drones.

SF UAS underwent on-site and other checks to pass the CAAC’s final review last month, SF Express said.

During the trial period, SF UAS will be committed to an open and win-win cooperation and will strengthen in-depth collaboration with partners to jointly build an ecological chain for the regional UAV logistics business, SF Express added.

Editor: Futura Costaglione