The number of newly-registered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones surged by 48% in China in the first six months of the year amid a push for the “low-altitude economy” to foster high-value jobs, bolster innovation in science and technology and inject momentum into the overall economy. There were 608,000 new UAVs registered in China in the first six months of the year, bringing the total to over 1.87 million, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng is reviewing plans to upgrade China’s logistics and transport network by encouraging the replacement of old vehicles, such as trucks, ships and locomotives with new models or alternatives, including UAVs. The low-altitude economy has been identified as a new growth point for the economy. It refers to civil-manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that operate in the airspace below 1,000 meters, such as for agriculture, delivery services and emergency response.
The development of flying cars and drones in China was listed with artificial intelligence (AI), the digital economy, green energy and biomedicine as “strategic new industries” at the annual Central Economic Work Conference in December. But the latest figures of licensed companies operating drones have fallen from 19,000 at the end of 2023 to 14,000 reported last week. The number of people registered with an operating license, meanwhile, reached 225,000, up from 194,000 at the end of last year.
The CAAC is to strengthen the certification standards for drones to adapt to new designs, fully utilize the potential of the low-altitude airspace, and upgrade safety regulations and the use of airports, CAAC Director Song Zhiyong added. The first set of national regulations introduced in June 2023 required registration of drones of varying sizes, including those lighter than 250 grams used for photography, filming and racing. In April, the CAAC approved the first production license for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Local governments are also investing heavily, with some starting from scratch by offering large subsidies to manufacturers and service providers.
Officials in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, said the low-altitude economy development plan would offer eligible new companies up to CNY10 million if their operating income was at least CNY20 million in the following year. Last month, the government of Sichuan also said it would establish a CNY200 million fund to support the development of the low-altitude economy. It plans to build 20 general airports and more than 100 facilities for vertical take-off and landing aircraft, while also cultivating three to five industry-leading companies in the fields of general aviation equipment manufacturing and low-altitude flight operations by 2027, the South China Morning Post reports.
