German courier service DHL is planning to expand its autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) drone delivery service in China, Sixth Tone’s sister publication The Paper reported Thursday.

DHL will work with EHang, a Chinese AAV technology company, to develop its unmanned aerial vehicle logistics service and establish a more “open, intelligent, efficient, and automated” delivery platform for customers in China, the German company revealed Thursday at the ongoing China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

In May, DHL became the first international logistics provider to introduce an AAV drone delivery service in China after rolling out an 8-kilometer drone delivery route in Guangdong’s provincial capital, Guangzhou. The one-way delivery time was reduced from 40 minutes by car or truck to just eight minutes by drone.

China’s logistics industry is developing at a rapid pace. Domestic express delivery volume in 2018 reached 50.7 billion items and is expected to exceed 60 billion in 2019. In September, a top government official said the country had finally achieved 100% postal coverage. (Image: VCG)