A visitor tests an Evtol at the Evtol exhibition in Shenzhen on September 23, 2024.
The economy of low altitude aims to use the unique resources of airspace to develop general aviation and energize the related sectors. This economic concept was proposed for the first time by China. It makes a theoretical contribution to the development of global general aviation.
It is commonly accepted that the low -altitude airspace is a resource and an activity engine as important as the terrestrial and maritime economy, and that it will allow China to fully develop the general aviation sector.
Thanks to technologies and innovative general aviation products, aircraft of a new type have emerged. Electric aircraft with vertical take -off and landing (EVTOL) and flying cars have been designed for urban air mobility (UAM), and their use makes it possible to solve the problem of the congestion of urban and interurban traffic.
The traffic jams being a worldwide challenge, this proposal has attracted special attention since its global attention since its creation. As China has many major cities, UAM faces increased demand and greater growth prospects throughout the country.
A booming sector
More than a concept, the low -altitude economy is a booming sector. It is linked to traditional general aviation, but also concerns a wider range of economic activities and categories.
If the economy of low altitude falls under the general aviation sector, it requires more investments and infrastructure. In addition to traditional airports, the construction of vertures and ground support facilities, as well as the monitoring and flight assistance systems are necessary. This new sector is also integrated into other industrial chain links, such as artificial intelligence, renewable energies and satellites, and is developing with these emerging sectors.
Based on general aviation technology, new products and innovative applications, UAM promises to be full of opportunities. By cooperating with ground traffic systems, it will revolutionize the modes of urban transport and integrate the low -altitude economy in urban development. As its development progresses, UAM will experience a significant boom in the methods of application and will constitute a single terrestrial and air economic model.
The development of an integrated network of air links will meet the needs of different flight activities using the resources of the low -altitude airspace. We can thus cite private flights and business flights, short distance air transport, urban air traffic, air emergency rescues, flights for administrative and public services, air sports, tourist visits and air entertainment.
So that vehicles can take off and land gently, it is necessary to build more infrastructure on the ground to complete the entire sectoral architecture. These installations include airports, vertures, aeronautical centers, aeronautical villages, drone bases, flight camps and aeronautical cultural tourist parks.
Ehang demonstrated the flight to Shenzhen on September 23, 2024.
Increased support measures
Many developed countries have paid increased attention to the innovative development of general aviation in recent years. The US Congress adopted in 2022 the law on coordination and leadership of advanced air mobility, in which the government services concerned were invited to create an agency responsible for promoting advanced air mobility. The European Union launched the Horizon Europe program in 2020 to support projects and companies related to UAM.
The Chinese government strongly supports the economy of low altitude. In the Government 2024 activity report, it is described as a new growth engine to promote emerging sectors. In July 2024, the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party stressed that the integrated reform of the transport system had to be continued and developing general aviation and the low -altitude economy.
In December 2023, the Chinese civil aviation services requested public opinions on a draft payment relating to the administration of air space, implementing institutional provisions for the opening and use of low -altitude airspace.
In addition to government plans, many regions of China are launching policies for the development of the low -altitude economy. For example, in Shenzhen (Guangdong), an economic pole in southern China, local authorities have published numerous support policies to promote the construction of a low -altitude economic center. Currently, nearly 100 commercial routes are tested for freight deliveries per drone.
The region of the Great Bay Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao is one of the most crowded areas in China. By promoting coordination between air and land transport, UAM will be able to provide innovative solutions to solve the problems of urban and interurban transport.
Promising prospects
While China is pouring out the developed countries in Europe and the United States in traditional civil aviation, its new form of low-altitude economy is at the forefront in the world thanks to rapid progress in its drone sector.
Chinese drone cutting -edge technology has laid the basis for development for EVTOL and UAM. Currently, the country has more than 30 Evtol companies, of which a dozen have raised several million dollars on the capital market. Among them, Ehang, Autoflight and Aerofugia have become world -class companies.
China is also at the forefront of navigability management. Over the past two years, the China civil aviation administration has issued the type certificate (TC), the production certificate (PC) and the Navigability Certificate (AC) for the EH216-S, the Habité Evtol produced by Ehang, which is the first evtol to receive these three certifications in the world. In 2024, the administration issued a TC for a logistics evtol developed by Autoflight.
With the improvement of operating systems, the Chinese economy of low altitude will enter into a multi -purpose development period, showing a tendency to integrate operation, manufacturing and services. It will be an engine for the financing and construction of infrastructure such as traditional airports, vertures, surveillance systems and flight services, and will promote the development of aviation activities, such as finance and insurance, cultural exhibitions on the theme of aviation and scientific education, to make it a financially very fruitful future sector.
*Gao Yuanyang is director of the General Aviation Industry Research Center at Beihang University.
