Low-altitude economy is a comprehensive economic form based on the resources of low-altitude airspace (typically below 1,000 meters true altitude, extendable to 3,000 meters under special circumstances). It encompasses flight activities involving various manned and unmanned aircraft, as well as the integrated development of related industries.
As an emerging economic sector following the digital economy, low-altitude economy has become a globally strategic emerging industry due to its three-dimensional spatial features, cross-industry integration, and driving effect for peripheral industries. China's low-altitude economy scale exceeded 500 billion yuan in 2023 and is projected to reach 2 trillion yuan by 2030, demonstrating immense growth potential.
Core Architecture of the Low-Altitude Economy
The low-altitude economy features an extensive industrial chain and broad coverage, comprising four key sectors:
1. Low-Altitude Infrastructure
Ground Support Facilities: General aviation airports, UAV takeoff/landing pads, vertiports, etc.
New Infrastructure: Low-altitude communication networks (e.g., 5G private networks), air traffic control systems, navigation/surveillance facilities (BeiDou augmentation systems), energy supply stations, etc.
2. Low-Altitude Aircraft Manufacturing
Includes whole-unit production of UAVs, eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft), helicopters, and R&D of core components such as power systems (e.g., hydrogen fuel cells), flight control systems, and high-precision sensors.
3. Low-Altitude Operational Services
Application Scenarios: Logistics delivery, agricultural/forestry plant protection, emergency rescue, passenger transport, low-altitude tourism.
Extended Services: Flight training, maintenance, data services.
4. Low-Altitude Flight Support
Covers airworthiness certification, airspace management, meteorological services, and security countermeasures—cornerstones for safe industrial development.
Technology Drivers & Innovation Breakthroughs
The core technological framework includes:
1. Flight Technology:
Flight control algorithms, lightweight materials (e.g., carbon fiber), high-energy-density batteries (solid-state batteries).
Challenge: eVTOLs' average range remains limited to 200–300 km.
2. Air Traffic Management Technology:
UAV Traffic Management (UTM), Remote ID, intelligent obstacle avoidance systems.
Progress: China released the national standard GB 42590-2023 "Safety Requirements for Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems".
3. New Infrastructure Technology:
Vertiports and helipads significantly expand application scenarios. Charging innovations include wireless induction, battery swapping, and laser charging.
Diverse Applications & Practices
The low-altitude economy has scaled across sectors:
1. Logistics Delivery:
UAVs overcome terrain/traffic constraints, optimizing "last-mile" delivery. China’s logistics UAV market is projected to reach ¥25.6B in 2024.
2. Agricultural/Forestry Plant Protection:
UAVs enable precision spraying (30× more efficient than manual labor). Over 200,000 plant protection UAVs were operational in China by 2023.
3. Emergency Rescue:
UAVs deliver supplies and assess disasters 70% faster, bypassing ground congestion in floods/earthquakes.
4. Passenger Transport:
eVTOLs reduce cross-city travel (e.g., Shenzhen-Zhuhai route from 3 hours to 20 minutes).
Policy & Standardization Support
1. Policy Framework:
The Interim Regulations on Unmanned Aircraft Flight Management (2024) deepened airspace reform.
2. Standardization:
While China has issued >1,000 aviation standards, <10% target low-altitude economy; eVTOL airworthiness certification remains a gap.
Future Challenges & Recommendations
1. Breakthrough Technical Bottlenecks:
Accelerate domestic R&D in high-performance motors and control chips; establish airworthiness standards for eVTOLs; integrate AI/blockchain with UAVs.
2. Enhance Infrastructure:
Coordinate vertiports, charging stations, and flight service hubs; build unified low-altitude IoT networks; standardize vertiport construction.
3. Innovate Business Models:
Expand "low-altitude +" scenarios (tourism, logistics, rescue); develop urban air mobility (UAM) services; set technical standards for payload/endurance.
4. Strengthen Safety Oversight:
Implement UAV unique ID codes (GB/T 41300-2022); apply blockchain for flight data traceability (MH/T 2015-2024); refine accident accountability standards.
The low-altitude economy is reshaping regional economic landscapes and upgrading social services from 2D to 3D. With technological iteration, policy refinement, and ecosystem maturity, this emerging sector will fuel economic growth, advancing China’s transportation power strategy, smart cities, and rural revitalization. Ultimately, it will redefine mobility and transform the spatiotemporal dimensions of production and daily life.
Source: Suzhou Market Supervision Administration, East China Branch of China Electronics Standardization Institute. Report on Industrial and Standardization Development of Low-altitude Economy [R]. Suzhou: East China Branch of China Electronics Standardization Institute, 2025.
