Foreign Media: China's Flying Taxis Face Many Challenges, But the Future Is Bright
According to Associated Press, China's wealthy coastal provinces are vigorously developing the low-altitude economy, but the industry still faces regulatory and technical obstacles. The report pointed out that in 2023, the low-altitude economy (flight height no more than 1,000 meters) generated 506 billion yuan in revenue for China, accounting for 0.4% of GDP.
Guangdong is the headquarters of DJI Innovation, a global leader in drone technology. The company holds about 70% of the global commercial drone market, placing Guangdong at the forefront of the development of the low-altitude economy. Following closely are the wealthy eastern coastal provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. These regions are actively developing drone delivery services. Commercial products for agriculture and passenger transport using such aircraft are also under development.
The Associated Press article points out that the main challenge in developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft lies in ensuring longer flight times and overcoming limitations in battery capacity. For example, a manned flying vehicle developed by Shenzhen Skyevtol costs $100,000, and each flight lasts only 20-30 minutes before requiring recharging. In addition, the commercial application of this technology also requires regulatory reforms.
The Associated Press noted that China's airspace is strictly controlled, with less than one-third of the low-altitude airspace available for civil aviation. Moreover, infrastructure construction also has uneven distribution and imbalanced development: many areas still have unstable network connections, which directly affects the ability to provide low-altitude economic services.
However, the Chinese government is gradually addressing these regulatory issues. Regulatory authorities recently promised to streamline the approval process and shorten the review time for applications to use low-altitude airspace in Shenzhen and five other provinces, as well as provide certain financial incentives. Shenzhen has pledged to offer a reward of 15 million yuan to companies that obtain the necessary qualifications for manned electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Guangdong has also announced plans to accelerate the construction of flight service stations and platforms to facilitate airspace operations. In addition, Guangdong will support the issuance of local discount coupons for low-altitude tourism.
It remains unclear when the low-altitude economy will achieve full commercial operation, or when companies providing eVTOL services will begin regular paid passenger flights. Although China entered this industry relatively late, it has not hindered its position as a leader in drone development. China has a significant advantage: the ruling party can mobilize regulatory agencies, industry, technology, and material resources to achieve common goals. The article from Associated Press concluded that the future of China's low-altitude economy is bright.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849674331676740/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.