Why are the latest DJI drones not available in flagship Hong Kong stores?

DJI’s most recent drones, such as the Mavic Air 2, are reported missing from the company’s flagship stores in Hong Kong. Does this have anything to do with the tense relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China? The photo shows the interior of DJI’s flagship store in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay district.

Keren Chiu reports for the Abacus News that:

But now, as DJI prepares to ship its latest drone, the Mavic Air 2 is notably missing from Hong Kong’s official DJI stores. While it’s available for purchase elsewhere, such as Taiwan and Japan, it can’t be found in the company’s glimmering three-story flagship store in downtown Hong Kong or in the official online shop, which currently shows all consumer drones listed as out of stock. A link posted in the DJI Facebook page along with a Mavic Air 2 promo video leads to a 404 error page.

In a statement to Abacus, DJI said, “Different markets will have different launch timing and shipping dates… We understand consumers are excited about this new product and we are working diligently to bring the Mavic Air 2 to Hong Kong customers as soon as possible.”

Yet DJI never had a problem filling its Hong Kong stores before. At least, not until last year.

As stocks of older models dwindled, some people reported that they also had trouble buying drone parts from shopping sites in mainland China. Shipping agents warned customers that drones were classified as “sensitive items” that shouldn’t be forwarded from the mainland to Hong Kong.

DJI didn’t respond to our question on whether last year’s protests affected shipping of its drones across the border. Back in November, the company told us the availability of the Mavic Mini would be announced at a later date. But six months later, there’s still no sign of the drone — or the newer Mavic Air 2.

The continuous absence disappoints some local drone enthusiasts.

DJI says Hong Kong remains an important market for them. “We will continue to provide customers the tools they need to take their creative work to the next level,” a company representative told us. “We’ll keep you posted on further updates.”

You can read the entire article here. What do you think is going on here? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo credit: Dickson Lee/SCMP