Chinese online retailer JD.com is planning to venture into the aviation field having established its own logistics unit, JD Logistics, in April of this year.

“I can only say aviation will be important [for logistics] in the future,” Bill Fu Bing, head of logistics planning and development at JD.com, was quoted by the South China Morning Post. “Do we need to buy our own planes or build our own airports? This is something we are looking at."

JD.com is one of China's largest online retailers racking up sales of CNY260 billion (USD39 billion) in 2016 alone.

The firm has already built an airport dedicated to delivery drones but has not, as yet, invested in freighter aircraft.