Eleme launches food delivery drones in China

But will us Beijingers ever receive our food from the skies?

As quick as food delivery in China can be, have you ever wished it could be even faster? Well, you could be in luck, as according to Eleme you can now get your meal delivered in under 20 minutes, as long as you're in Shanghai, and within the very specific (and rather far-flung) locale of the Jinshan Industrial Park area, where the food delivery platform has just launched its first set of delivery drones.

Eleme started trialling the drones last year, which are able to carry up to five kilograms of food across 3.5 kilometres at a height of 70 metres, according to Shine. The service currently covers approximately 100 restaurants and merchants within 58sqm in the Jinshan district.

So how exactly does it work? You order through the app like you usually would. Then, once your order has been prepared, someone at the distribution point will place your food in the delivery box attached to the drone and dispatch the drone to a designated pick-up location, where a delivery man will then complete the final stretch of the delivery to your door.

While it’s not nearly as cool as having the drone deliver to your door, it will significantly reduce the distance travelled for couriers down to 15 percent of the route. The advancement is aimed at reducing Eleme’s operating costs while boosting the income of existing couriers up to five times, according to the company.

The drones currently operate across 17 routes and Eleme has plans to expand across the entire city if things go well in Jinshan. But what about Beijing? Well, not to poop the party, but pigs would sooner fly in Beijing than drones, so there's probably very little chance of food arriving from the skies any time soon. Unless Eleme really pulls out all the stops and launches flying-pig delivery.

Strict rules apply to drone usage in the capital, with police registration required and – perhaps more restrictive – the entire area within the Sixth Ring Road effectively declared a no-fly zone. Stay grounded, Beijingers.

If food isn't going to fly to you, you must walk to it – hit 'Read more' to check out our favourite foodie walking tours.

More from Time Out Beijing