Low-altitude economy nears commercial horizon

Realistic applications

The situation reflects a broader challenge across the industry — technological readiness is advancing faster than regulatory approval and commercial deployment.

Industry forecasts nevertheless point to enormous growth potential.

According to CCID Consulting, China's low-altitude economy is expected to surpass 1 trillion yuan ($148.4 billion) in market scale in 2026, with the figure projected to reach 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035.

The consulting firm said there were more than 127,000 companies in China involved in low-altitude-related businesses by the end of June, covering areas ranging from aircraft manufacturing and airspace management to operations and technical services.

Industry participants, however, caution that the sector remains in an early development stage.

While China has identified promising growth areas, large-scale commercialization is still constrained by airspace management, digital supervision systems, infrastructure development and business model innovation, said participants at the 2026 China Entrepreneur Future Star Annual Forum held in Guangzhou in July.

Executives from aircraft manufacturers, intelligent solution providers and industrial service companies also discussed the opportunities and challenges facing the market at the annual event.

Compared with passenger eVTOL services, agricultural, logistics and industrial applications are expected to achieve commercialization sooner, they said.

"Agricultural drone operations currently account for the largest share of our civilian business, with mature and large-scale applications already established," said Meng Yuehua, director and deputy general manager of Gifore, a subsidiary of United Aircraft that specializes in drone R&D, production and service.

United Aircraft's products are also used in emergency rescue, low-altitude logistics and power industry services.

For logistics applications, United Aircraft has developed a product portfolio covering different payload capacities.

Lightweight drones carrying about 5 kilograms are mainly used for urban patrols and inspections, while 10-kg-class models can support short-distance delivery services in urban areas.

Meng said United Aircraft has also accumulated operational experience in medical supply delivery, including drone transportation of medical materials in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and county-level healthcare logistics services in cities such as Dongtai, Jiangsu province.

United Aircraft is cooperating with MT Aerospace, based in Suzhou, Jiangsu, to develop a nationwide drone-based medical distribution network, supporting the transportation of biological samples, emergency medicines and other supplies.

"Urban medical delivery scenarios with small payloads have strong practical demand and broad market potential," Meng said.

For larger payload applications, aircraft such as the TD550 and T1400 are designed to provide supplementary aerial logistics capacity for urban and suburban distribution networks.

Looking further ahead, the company's R6000 heavy-lift drone, with a maximum takeoff weight of 6 metric tons and a payload capacity of 2 tons, targets long-distance logistics routes in remote areas not covered by traditional aviation networks.

"Low-altitude logistics will become an important growth area in the next stage, creating opportunities for manufacturers with heavy-lift aerial vehicle technologies," Meng said.