Largest drone-testing airspace in N China approved to bolster emerging economy

SHIJIAZHUANG -- A 600-square-kilometer zone located approximately 300 kilometers southwest of Beijing has been greenlit as the largest drone-testing airspace in North China, set to boost the growth of the nation's burgeoning low-altitude economy.

The zone, spanning an area of 25 by 23 kilometers, allows flights up to 4,000 meters, surpassing the standard 3,000-meter limit for low-altitude airspace, Shijiazhuang Daily reported on Saturday.

This airspace in Shijiazhuang, the capital of North China's Hebei province, is designed for trial flights of all manned and unmanned aircraft, including large industrial drones, said Zhang Minghui, an engineer at the Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co Ltd.

It can support the demands of aviation emergency response, air transport, weather modification, low-altitude tourism and pilot training, Zhang noted.

The unified management of the test zone can effectively streamline processes for enterprises to secure airspace, while the adoption of 5G-Advanced technology facilitates real-time drone flight status monitoring, said Zhang Xueqian, a local official in charge of investment promotion.

Shijiazhuang is the latest Chinese city jumping to establish a foothold in the emerging sector, with numerous Chinese companies already capitalizing on the vast economic potential of the airspace by launching a variety of drones, eVTOLs and small aircraft.

Over 20 provincial governments in China have incorporated the development of the low-altitude economy into their work plans or have introduced relevant policies.

In August, Beijing launched its first unmanned aerial vehicle logistics delivery route on a section of the Great Wall, enabling tourists to receive heat relief items and emergency supplies within minutes.

Chongqing, a mountainous municipality in Southwest China, launched the trial operations of an interprovincial low-altitude air route to the city of Zigong in its neighboring Sichuan province in March.

On Nov 1, a small aircraft with a 10-passenger capacity flew from Zigong to Chongqing for the first time at an altitude of approximately 3,500 meters.

The test flight took two-and-a-half hours, cutting the commute in half compared to driving. The route is set to launch officially by the end of the year.

Chongqing and Chengdu, Sichuan's capital, have reportedly been selected as pilot cities for eVTOL flights below 600 meters, with local governments being granted increased approval authority.

Aviation authorities in Sichuan have also streamlined drone trial flight procedures. Previously, drone enterprises were required to apply for approval seven working days in advance of a trial flight. Now, flights can be greenlit with a notification just one hour before takeoff.

The low-altitude economy was defined as a strategic emerging industry at the country's annual central economic work conference in 2023.

The size of China's low-altitude economy was estimated to be more than 500 billion yuan (about $69 billion) at the end of last year, with its scale expected to rise to 2 trillion yuan by 2030, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.