As an emerging pillar industry, the low-altitude economy is poised to become a new engine for economic growth. On April 17, Zheng Jian, Director of the Low-Altitude Economy Development Department at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), stated at a State Council Information Office press conference that the Central Committee and the State Council have already made comprehensive plans for the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy during the "16th Five-Year Plan" period. The NDRC will adhere to the principle of healthy and orderly development, with reform and innovation as the main focus, to promote a low-altitude economy that is "well-regulated, stable in flight, and flexibly utilized."
In response to recent public concerns about difficulties in obtaining approvals for drone flight activities, Zheng Jian responded that the NDRC is collaborating with relevant departments to study and promote effective practices from certain regions, such as "scan-to-fly" systems, to improve the efficiency of flight plan approvals. The commission will work with other departments to help enterprises resolve challenges and enable the public to enjoy conveniences, ensuring the low-altitude economy develops more steadily and effectively.
The low-altitude economy has been included in the Government Work Report for three consecutive years. The outline for the "16th Five-Year Plan" also explicitly calls for accelerating the development of strategic emerging industrial clusters, including new energy, new materials, aerospace, and the low-altitude economy. Applications in logistics transport, medical rescue, urban governance, agricultural and forestry operations, and surveying and inspection are expanding. Zheng Jian noted that the low-altitude economy is increasingly becoming part of daily life, enhancing social and economic development while improving public satisfaction by providing "aerial solutions" to民生 needs.
He cited examples: in some border towns in Honghe and Pu'er, Yunnan, drones act as "aerial messengers," reducing delivery times from nearly three hours to around 40 minutes. In Shenzhen, drones serve as "aerial first responders," delivering automated external defibrillators to emergency sites in about four minutes, significantly increasing survival rates during the critical rescue window. In Shanghai, drones function as "aerial traffic managers," arriving at accident scenes within two minutes to quickly document evidence, expedite insurance claims, and reduce traffic congestion.
Looking ahead to the "16th Five-Year Plan," Zheng Jian outlined five key priorities: safety as the "prerequisite," industry as the "support," scenarios as the "driver," innovation as the "momentum," and cooperation as the "path." He emphasized that without safety, there can be no low-altitude economy, and ensuring safety, particularly flight safety, will be a priority. Efforts will focus on strengthening full-lifecycle management of aircraft, innovating regulatory mechanisms, and strictly implementing safety measures. Currently, various regions are issuing management regulations tailored to their specific conditions and needs, detailing safety standards for low-altitude operations.
According to forecasts from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, China's low-altitude economy is expected to reach a market size of 1.5 trillion yuan by 2025, potentially growing to 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035. Zheng Jian indicated that consolidating and enhancing industrial advantages will be a key development direction. This includes advancing the development of new aircraft such as large-payload fixed-wing drones and long-endurance vertical take-off and landing aircraft, establishing a spectrum of key low-altitude equipment, and fostering upstream and downstream industries to create comprehensive cluster development hubs suited to local conditions.
Regarding scenario cultivation, Zheng Jian stated that adherence to the "three before, three after" principle—cargo before passengers, isolated before integrated, and suburban before urban—will guide efforts. Under strict risk control and safety assurance, regions with suitable conditions will be supported in promoting mature applications and nurturing promising new scenarios. Additionally, systematic support for key elements will be strengthened to meet application needs. Priorities include enhancing精细化管理 of airspace, scientifically planning low-altitude route networks, and promoting the development of low-altitude intelligent interconnected systems to enable the safe and efficient implementation of scenarios benefiting households and various industries.
Recent activity in the low-altitude economy sector has been frequent, with supportive policies emerging from central to local levels. On April 15, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) held a thematic meeting on the development of the low-altitude economy by central enterprises, further discussing strategies and specific measures to enhance their role in this field and support the modern industrial system. SASAC urged state-owned central enterprises to promote high-quality development of the low-altitude economy prudently and orderly, acting as long-term, strategic, and patient capital. They are expected to lead as national champions in low-altitude infrastructure construction, upgrading service capabilities, integrating low-altitude infrastructure with energy and information networks, and developing future-oriented intelligent systems.
Chen Xiaohua, Executive Dean of the Education and Science Technology Research Institute at the China Mobile Communications Association, noted that as low-altitude economy development enters a phase of systematic planning at the national level, central enterprises are positioned as "long-term, strategic, and patient capital," tasked with undertaking heavy-asset infrastructure, key technology breakthroughs, and industrial rule-setting over extended periods. Compared to local governments focusing on scenario investment and private enterprises prioritizing product innovation, central enterprises should assume foundational and guiding roles, solidifying the industrial base and steering direction.
Policies concerning low-altitude standards, infrastructure, and insurance services have also been密集落地. In February, guidelines for the low-altitude economy standards system were jointly issued by ten departments, including the State Administration for Market Regulation, aiming to establish a basic standards framework by 2027 and over 300 standards by 2030. Additionally, a implementation opinion on strengthening information and communication capabilities to support low-altitude infrastructure development was released, targeting over 90% coverage of low-altitude public routes by ground mobile communication networks by 2027, alongside enhanced感知 solutions and navigation services.
Zhu Keli, Founding Dean of the Guoyan New Economy Research Institute and Dean of the Bay Area Low-Altitude Economy Research Institute, described these moves as critical policy steps toward systematized, scaled, and standardized development, marking a transition from pilot scenarios to infrastructure定型. This is expected to accelerate growth across upstream and downstream industrial chains, forming a complete ecosystem covering core components, network facilities, equipment manufacturing, system integration, and operational services.
The NDRC, together with the National Financial Regulatory Administration and the Civil Aviation Administration of China, issued an implementation opinion on promoting high-quality development of low-altitude insurance, aiming to build a comprehensive insurance service system covering the entire chain, all scenarios, and all entities. Zhang Xiaolan, a researcher at the Economic Forecasting Department of the National Information Center, stated that this policy not only improves the governance system but also represents a key step in transitioning the industry from "wild growth" to "regulated development." Its systematic approach addresses risk保障 needs while aligning with safety监管 requirements,护航 high-quality development through健全 policies, mandatory insurance systems, enhanced services, and operational capabilities.