Hainan expanding reach of low-altitude economy

China's low-altitude economy, a strategic emerging sector that is key to developing new quality productive forces, has captured the imagination of the country's tropical island of Hainan province, which is aiming to become a key base for the innovative development of the low-altitude sector.

Hainan, relying on its unique geographical environment, multiple application scenarios of low-altitude aircraft and the advantages of Hainan Free Trade Port, plans to comprehensively promote the low-altitude economy by introducing more enterprises and expanding application scenarios and business formats, the local government said.

So far this year, the province has launched 36 projects, with a total investment value of 29.4 billion yuan ($4.02 billion), covering the entire industry chain, including aircraft research and development, smart logistics and high-end cultural tourism.

"The local government has issued a three-year development plan from 2024 to 2026 to boost the growth of the low-altitude economy, and it is preparing a series of other documents to help promote the growth of the sector," said Jiang Hong, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Development and Reform Commission.

During the China International Consumer Products Expo 2025 that concluded on April 18 in Haikou, eight cooperation projects related to the low-altitude sector were signed, and they involved manufacturing, technological research and development, and applications.

The projects include the building of a heavy-duty unmanned helicopter assembly production line in Wenchang, and the building of a marine drone maintenance and support base in Ledong.

The sector's growth has been closely intertwined with the support of favorable policies. Late last year, the National Development and Reform Commission set up a low-altitude department and its responsibilities include formulating and organizing the implementation of low-altitude economic growth strategies, and making medium and long-term development plans.

Zheng Shanjie, head of the NDRC, recently hosted a special meeting on promoting the development of the sector and said the government will formulate relevant plans for the development of the low-altitude economy during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). He also clarified the need to coordinate the relationship between development and security, government and market, and current and long-term aspects.

The market size of China's low-altitude economy is expected to total 1.5 trillion yuan this year, and is estimated to reach 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035, according to a projection by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co Ltd, a general aviation service operator, has continued to make investments in the sector. The company primarily operates offshore oil-related helicopter flight services, and also operates multiple passenger flights, including the route connecting the two high-speed rail stations of Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, and Haikou.

Last year, the company completed test flights on the cross-border helicopter route between Shenzhen, Guangdong, and Hong Kong, which only takes 15 minutes, significantly reducing the travel time for residents and tourists. The same journey would normally take two hours by car and one hour by sea.

"We plan to launch more helicopter transportation routes in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Pearl River Delta and the Bohai-Rim region," said Lei Lei, vice-president of the low-altitude department at CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co Ltd.

"We have also launched some innovative projects. For instance, we transported skiers to ski resorts by helicopters in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and used drones to carry out emergency support, freight inspection and other businesses," Lei said.

Lei added that helicopters boast strong operational capabilities under extreme weather conditions. Especially in island areas, maritime traffic often stops under extreme weather conditions such as cold waves and typhoons.

Compared with passenger ships, helicopters usually have stronger wind resistance capability, and modified helicopters can even fly in high wind speeds of level 10 to 11, ensuring smooth traffic between islands, according to the company.