The low-altitude economy is entering a phase of explosive growth as factors such as logistics drones, eVTOL aircraft, and airspace management infrastructure converge. Commercialization in this sector is outpacing other areas, with delivery drones and inspection robots taking the lead.
At the annual Future Star conference, organized by China Entrepreneur Magazine in 2026, industry leaders presented forecasts and barriers for an industry expected to reach a scale of one trillion yuan in China. Participants included representatives from United Aircraft Group, Xingluo Intelligence, Beidou Fuxi, and Sichuan Gaoneng Zhidun.
The logistics drone segment is showing the fastest growth. United Aircraft Group identified low-altitude logistics as the fastest-growing market in the near term. Their products range from 5 kg inspection drones to 10 kg cargo delivery platforms, as well as heavy cargo aircraft like the TD550 and T1400, designed for feeder air transport roles. The R6000 model, capable of taking off with a weight of 6 tons and carrying a payload of 2 tons, aims to fill gaps in the existing civil aviation network. Medical supply delivery has proven particularly promising: United Aircraft has been operating medical logistics routes in Shenzhen for five years and is expanding cooperation with county-level medical institutions nationwide. However, the main obstacle is not technological readiness, but rather airspace conditions and safety management.
Inspection applications are also having a huge impact. Wang Haibin, CEO of Xingluo Intelligence, noted the enormous potential of distributed solar inspection, given that China needs to double its wind and solar energy capacity from 1900 GW to 3600 GW by 2035. Xingluo's drones conduct thermographic and visual inspections of photovoltaic stations, detecting defects and fire risks on a large industrial scale. An additional robot deployed from drones onto panel roofs performs automated cleaning, increasing energy output by 10% through 100 cleaning cycles per year. Xingluo's vision, where defects found by drones are corrected by robotic intervention, illustrates the convergence of the low-altitude economy and embodied intelligence.
Airspace management infrastructure acts as a crucial limiting factor. Beidou Fuxi, founded at Peking University, developed a grid-based airspace management system that divides the sky into navigation and restricted cells. Since one Chinese city currently hosts over 10,000 drones, while the entire national civil aviation park only has 7,000 aircraft, systematic traffic control has become mandatory. The Beidou Fuxi grid system enables real-time airspace application, routing, and management in nearly 30 cities, drawing an analogy to when cars appeared 30 years ago, which necessitated the introduction of red flag rules for safety; therefore, the development of low altitudes must be accompanied by safety management.
Industry participants predict a 30-year development cycle. The convergence of logistics drones, inspection robots, progress in eVTOL certification, and airspace management systems indicates the transition of the low-altitude economy from concept to infrastructure creation. Companies that integrate aviation platforms, applications, and airspace management systems hold the most advantageous position.
During severe flooding in Guangxi, heavy cargo drones violated standard safety protocols to evacuate stranded residents. These drones used ropes to lift people from rising floodwaters, which garnered widespread recognition on Chinese social media for prioritizing human life over established principles.
The rescue operation in Guangxi served as an unprecedented real-world test of the capabilities of China's drone industry. The drones performed multiple functions: delivering essential supplies to isolated settlements, conducting aerial surveys to assess damage, restoring communication during emergencies, and, in the most dramatic cases, directly evacuating people using suspended safety lines.
According to civil aviation analyst Li Hanmin, this operation demonstrated that drone capabilities are being utilized much more broadly than in any previous natural disaster in China.
This operational readiness is built upon China's massive commercial drone ecosystem. By 2025, the low altitude space economy market in China is projected to reach $2.1 trillion (15 trillion yuan). Over 3.28 million civilian drones are registered in the country, with a total annual flight fund exceeding 45.3 million hours. The production value of civilian drones has reached $247 billion (1.761 trillion yuan).
China accounts for over 70% of global patents related to the low altitude space economy, making it a dominant technological nation. This deep industrial base ensured the availability of necessary equipment and trained personnel, enabling the disaster response.
As noted by Li Hanmin, the extensive fleet of commercial drones has shown its potential to rapidly transform into a public emergency response system. Heavy cargo drones capable of precise cargo delivery and even personnel transport represent a significant breakthrough in rescue capabilities in extremely isolated areas inaccessible to vehicles or boats.
The support system for these capabilities has evolved methodically. The low altitude space economy was first included in national planning in 2021, then declared a strategic developing industry in 2023, and has been featured in the Government Report for three consecutive years since 2024. Specialized government agencies, including the NDRC Low Altitude Space Economy Development Department and the CAAC Low Altitude Space Safety Department, have been established to coordinate strategy and regulation. This institutional structure creates conditions for technological flexibility, allowing drones designed for commercial logistics, agriculture, and surveying to be quickly redirected to humanitarian missions when lives are at stake.
