2026 Low-Altitude Industry Development Conference Held, Boosting the Take-off of Trillion-Yuan Industry

With a low hum from the propellers, a drone slowly approaches an intelligent unmanned cruise ship sailing downstream close to the river surface; it hovers, activates the rope descent, and accurately delivers daily supplies to the ship’s deck. On the opposite bank, another unmanned helicopter flies through the gaps between buildings and directly airdrops emergency supplies, which draw an arc and land steadily at the designated area... Recently, this set of flight operation scenarios has become a reality at the 2026 Low-Altitude Industry Development Conference hosted by Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

From "new growth engine" in 2024 to "emerging industry" in 2025, and then to "emerging pillar industry" in 2026, low-altitude economy has been included in the government work report for three consecutive years. The Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan proposes to "promote the healthy and orderly development of the low-altitude economy".

Wu Ximing, Chief Technical Expert of AVIC, stated that this demonstrates the country’s determination to cultivate and expand emerging pillar industries and build a modern industrial system, injecting policy momentum into the trillion-yuan low-altitude industry track. "Innovation is the essential feature of aviation, and aviation technology drives major scientific and technological achievements such as materials, electronics and advanced manufacturing," said Fan Huitao, Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

According to People’s Network, a number of new technologies, products and achievements in the low-altitude economy field have emerged in recent years, reflecting China’s strong momentum in technological innovation in the low-altitude industry. Currently, the AG600 Kunlong large amphibious aircraft has moved from model development to practical application, flying to Guangdong to perform forest fire fighting tasks and effectively improving Guangdong’s aviation rescue capacity.

The AS700 Xiangyun manned airship has been awarded China’s first production license for domestic manned airships, and its electric version has completed its first scientific research flight, becoming an important carrier to activate low-altitude cultural and tourism consumption. The Wing Loong-2 meteorological UAV system has broken through the limitations of complex weather and geographical conditions, overcoming key technologies of the UAV anti-icing system.

At the conference, AVIC released 6 key new low-altitude products independently developed, including the AC332 civil helicopter and the AR-E800 unmanned air cargo system. The AR-E800, China’s first 800-kilogram-class heavy-duty electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, adopts a multi-rotor configuration and modular design to meet practical needs in mountainous power grid construction and fresh agricultural product transportation.

The AC311A helicopter is designed for fire fighting in complex terrain such as high mountains and dense forests; it can be transformed into an "air fire truck" by adding a fire water cannon to achieve fixed-point fire fighting in high-rise buildings. Industry experts said that driven by airspace management, equipment innovation and infrastructure construction, China’s low-altitude industry is accelerating its transformation from "taking off" to "being put into use".

"Safety is the lifeline of the low-altitude economy’s development," Wu Ximing emphasized. While promoting the rapid development of the low-altitude economy, it is more important to build a comprehensive test and verification system, ensure equipment meets safety standards and airworthiness requirements, and strengthen cooperation with all sectors to form a good pattern of jointly adhering to the safety bottom line.

According to Xinhua News Agency, China has formed a multi-dimensional pattern of low-altitude equipment with various technical paths developing in parallel, providing solid support for the sustainable development of the low-altitude economy, which is increasingly integrating into daily production and life through various application scenarios.