A High-Flyer in the Making
China’s low-altitude economy is ready for takeo(
In Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, a city known for its tech innovation, residents have recently adopted helicopters as “air taxis” alongside buses, cabs and the subway. On board these air taxis, passengers are treated to panoramic views of the city’s picturesque landscapes, making their journeys both convenient and alluring. While a 40-km terrestrial journey can take up to an hour in optimal traffic conditions, an air taxi can cover the same distance in a mere 10 minutes.
Boarding these innovative taxis requires a visit to the top floor of a 40-story skyscraper, where passengers undergo training and security checks. Over the past year, Shenzhen has inaugurated several intercity air taxi routes, whisking commuters away to neighbouring destinations like Guangzhou and Zhuhai, significantly shortening travel times.
In Shenzhen, it’s not just people who have embraced the sky travel. Goods are now also being delivered within the city by air. So, if one day you receive a delivery from a drone, don’t be startled.
In recent years, low-altitude flying machines (flying below 3,000 metres), represented by helicopters and drones, have been weaving their way into the fabric of people’s lives. The pathways they navigate are emerging as a fresh urban ring-road, a new layer intertwining with the cityscape. Once only scenes from science fiction, visions of hovering aircraft in the city skies are gradually becoming a reality.
Behind these advancements lies a vast and promising expanse - the low-altitude economy, which refers to a realm of industries centered around civil manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, including manufacturing, helicopter or drone operations, and integrated services.
A blue ocean
Over 120 years ago, the Wright brothers successfully conducted the world’s first flight with the aircraft Wright Flyer. The advent of airplanes transformed the expansive sky into a new economic resource. However, the extensive sky is predominantly utilised in the mid-to-high altitude range by civil aviation and related industries, leaving the lower airspace currently untapped.
“The low-altitude economy holds vast prospects,”