Shenzhen, China – SF Express has officially obtained airworthiness certification for its ARK80 heavy-lift logistics drone, marking a major milestone in low-altitude commercial drone operations in China.
The ARK80 features a flexible payload-range configuration:
- With a maximum payload of 30 kg (66 lbs), it can fly up to 30 km (18.6 miles);
- When carrying 20 kg (44 lbs), its range extends to 60 km (37 miles).
Equipped with a 144-liter modular cargo compartment, the ARK80 significantly surpasses the efficiency limits of conventional multi-rotor delivery drones.
Designed for rugged environments, the drone achieves a maximum cruise speed of 90 km/h (56 mph) and operates reliably at elevations up to 3,300 meters (10,827 feet). Its robust performance in high-altitude plateaus, mountainous regions, and remote islands makes it ideal for small-batch, high-frequency logistics in underserved areas.
Safety is a top priority: the ARK80 integrates multiple redundant sensors, a single-propeller failure protection system, and comes standard with a full-airframe parachute for emergency landings. Its expandable architecture also supports various mission-specific payloads, including gimbals, winch-based cargo lowering, and aerial drop systems.
The development team has already completed over 10,000 test flights in extreme conditions—including high-altitude and arctic environments—accumulating more than 200,000 kilometers (124,000 miles) of flight distance, thoroughly validating the ARK80’s all-weather operational capability.
With this certification, SF Express is poised to scale autonomous aerial logistics across rural, remote, and geographically challenging regions, accelerating the future of smart, low-altitude delivery networks in China and beyond.