China’s Low-altitude Economy Takes Off

While China looks ahead to the Year of the Fire Horse, 2025’s Year of the Snake marked a period of foundational growth and regulatory milestones for the country’s emerging low-altitude economy and the broader socio-economic ambitions the government says this will bolster.

Covering airspace below 1,000 meters (3,280 feet)—and, in some instances, up to 3,000 meters—the sector has seen increasing liberalization to support uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, alongside traditional general and business aviation models.

With China’s 15th Five-Year Plan pushing the expansion of strategic emerging industrial clusters, the low-altitude economy is now being shaped by regional strengths—from Guangdong’s coastal manufacturing hubs to high-altitude testing in plateau regions such as Qinghai. By the end of 2025, China had established a growing repository of regulations and technical standards to support the emerging sector.

At the national level, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) released draft airworthiness standards for certain classes of UAS and powered-lift aircraft, along with technical specifications for rotorcraft, propellers, and civil water aerodromes for amphibious aircraft. The State Administration for Market Regulation issued mandatory standards for UAS identification and real-name registration, while the Central Air Traffic Management Office released specifications for integrated low-altitude supervision platforms, unifying airspace management from national to municipal levels.

Complementing these efforts, the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, together with state-backed Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) and other partners, published its first technical guide on building digital models of low-altitude airspace. Shenzhen issued low-altitude trade secret protection guidelines as the city aspires to earn the self-declared title “World eVTOL Capital” by 2028, while Guangdong introduced its “Twelve Measures,” providing financial support for industry clusters across research and development, manufacturing, operations, and integrated banking-insurance-equity services.

December also saw China’s National Development and Reform Commission roll out a statistical classification that defines the scope and core industries of the low-altitude economy, to guide policymakers and enterprises in developing the sector. At the same time, President Xi Jinping promulgated the revised Civil Aviation Law, effective July 1, directing the State Council and Central Military Commission to manage low-altitude airspace, with a special chapter supporting general aviation development.

eVTOL Activity Across China

According to Yang Shangmou, strategic cooperation director at TransFuture Aviation, all of this bodes well for eVTOL startups and legacy operators.

Speaking to AIN, he explained that the startup is leveraging Hunan province’s supportive policies and early lead in general aviation airports to advance its five-seat (single-pilot, four-passenger) Honghu Mark 1 eVTOL aircraft. With headquarters in Changsha and an R&D center in Xi’an, TransFuture has conducted public demonstrations and emergency drill flights, with plans to integrate into Hunan’s low-altitude rescue system.

“We are building an ‘industry–education–application’ ecosystem to train pilots and maintenance personnel, while integrating our aircraft with Hunan’s emerging vertiport network and forging joint ventures with general aviation operators and universities to scale operations,” Yang said. “Backed by the Hunan General Aviation Fund, we plan to accelerate R&D. Drawing on full transition flight experience from three prototypes, we will optimize the Honghu Mark 1 for short-haul urban commuting and intercity logistics across different cities.”

Some 500 miles away, eVTOL manufacturer WeSky has been carrying out a flight test campaign of its piloted, four-passenger W280 eVTOL aircraft at Suzhou’s Shengze Lake Full-Space Unmanned Systems Demonstration Island. The 28-acre island, China’s first comprehensive hub for uncrewed air, land, and water systems, offers dedicated eVTOL test platforms, drone pads, and an integrated operations center for testing, training, and demonstrations under realistic conditions.

David Peng, WeFly’s v-p of marketing, said the company has forged local partnerships, including with China Telecom Suzhou and Suzhou Xiangcheng Ecological Culture and Tourism Development Group, to develop urban low-altitude service scenarios. A commercial passenger test route will connect Suzhou Center, Suzhou North Railway Station, and Yangcheng Lake Scenic Area, with demonstration flights planned after completing transition tests and W280 type certificate procedures.

In the south of the country, EHang and AutoFlight, both now holding China’s three key airworthiness certifications, have taken advantage of favorable visual flight rules conditions in Hainan and recently completed demonstration flights across the Qiongzhou Strait between Mingzhu Island and Xuwen Port in Guangdong. Provincial plans call for a fully flyable demonstration island for eVTOL operations as Hainan develops its free trade port.

Meanwhile, Hefei-based Zero Gravity is actively promoting and investing in the “aviation flight camp” concept, which, in theory, requires no civil or military aviation clearance. (The loosely translated term refers to locally authorized low-altitude operating zones outside the purview of traditional ATC.) Zero Gravity offers a diverse aircraft portfolio, including the two-seater ZG-One multicopter; the five-passenger, single-pilot ZG-T6; and two conventional electric airplanes—the RX1E-A and RX1E-S.

Business Aviation Enters the Low-altitude Orbit

As eVTOL technology matures, business aviation services group Sino Jet is exploring low-altitude travel as a strategic extension of its mobility capabilities, aiming to enhance travel efficiency and comfort for a broader range of users. The Hong Kong-based group’s vice chair, Jenny Lau, told AIN that, with a firm order for 50 Aerofugia AE200 eVTOL aircraft and experience managing and operating aircraft across more than 200 countries and regions worldwide, it is applying its safety practices, service standards, and global network to support urban air mobility, including airport transfers and short intercity flights.

This includes working with eVTOL manufacturers to develop airworthiness standards and operational compliance protocols, collaborating with technology providers on battery systems, navigation, and artificial intelligence, and coordinating with local authorities and airport operators to establish take-off and landing sites, charging infrastructure, and integrated airspace management. The company is also leveraging its digital platform to support integrated travel planning and operations across air mobility modes, enabling customers to plan, book, and pay for seamless, multimodal journeys.

“Sino Jet views the AE200 eVTOL aircraft project as a key strategic initiative in building a three-dimensional transportation network that integrates both high- and low-altitude travel,” Lau said. “We foresee three core application scenarios: airport express routes, intercity shuttles, and tourism in scenic areas. Taking airport transfers as an example, eVTOL aircraft have the potential to reduce travel time between city centers and airports by up to 50%, offering strong appeal to business travelers who prioritize time efficiency.”

Lau emphasized that Sino Jet does not aim to compete with traditional low-altitude aircraft operators, but rather to offer business jet clients a new layer of connectivity in urban and regional mobility through scalable, low-altitude solutions. With commercial eVTOL operations anticipated to gain momentum around 2027 to 2028 as certification and infrastructure advance, the group plans a phased expansion: first establishing takeoff and landing sites across China, then extending services to Asia-Pacific hubs such as Singapore alongside Dubai, and eventually replicating its low-altitude air mobility model in Europe and North America in partnership with local operators.

“Throughout the international expansion process, we recognize the critical importance of balancing standardization with localization,” Lau explained. “On one hand, we aim to export Sino Jet’s established safety and service standards to overseas markets. On the other hand, we will adapt to local regulatory requirements, cultural nuances, and market demands. For example, in the European market, we will place greater emphasis on environmental performance, while in the Middle East, we will highlight luxury and exclusivity.”

Speaking to AIN, Sara Mao, founder of Shanghai’s PIAviation, said that as China accelerates its low-altitude economy strategy, general aviation is approaching a critical inflection point, where fragmented data, limited transparency, and uneven access to pilot training remain. The company aims to address these gaps by consolidating flight information, structuring databases of schools and instructors, integrating real-time charts, and offering a flight credit system that tracks experience, training, and maintenance.

By connecting pilots, schools, airports, and training operations through shared digital tools, “we can make everyday flying more transparent, understandable, and accessible,” Mao said. “When the entire low-altitude system operates on unified, transparent data and is visible and understandable to the public, low-altitude aviation can truly move into everyday life. It is at that moment that China’s pilot spirit will be able to resonate beyond its borders and be shared with the world.”