China Trials Cargo Drones And Air Taxis As Low Economy Rises Rapidly

Two-engine powered cargo drone developed by Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation Co. (photo: x @MarioNawfal)

Last week, Chinese engineers tested the country's largest cargo drone to date, while helicopter taxis began to air on a 100 km path to Shanghai. This marks a new milestone in the country's rapidly growing low-altitude economy.

The two-machine-powered cargo drone developed by Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation Co. has a charge capacity of 2 tons. The drone first flew in Sichuan province, southwest of China, on Sunday 11 August, with its first flight lasting about 20 minutes, state media reported.

With a wingspan of 16.1 m and a height of 4.6 m, the drone built by Tengden is slightly larger than the world's most popular Cessna 172 light plane.

Manufacturers in the world's largest drone-making country are testing their larger payloads, while transport companies are planning air taxi services, both driven and driverless, as China relaxes airspace restrictions and provides incentives to build a low-altitude economy. China's aviation regulator estimates the industry will reach 2 trillion yuan (IDR 4.4 quadrillion) by 2030, four times from 2023.

Tengden's test follows the inaugural June flight of a cargo drone developed by Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), a leading state-owned aerospace company. The AVIC drone, HH-100, has a cargo capacity of 700 kg and flight range of 520 km. Next year, AVIC plans to test their largest cargo drone, TP2000, which can carry up to 2 tons of cargo and fly four times further from HH-100.

China has started commercial deliveries using drones. In May, the cargo drone company Phoenix Wings, part of the SF Express delivery giant, began shipping fresh fruit from Hainan island province to southern Guangdong using the Fengzhou-90 drone developed by the SF.

Chinese industry experts say cargo drones offer faster delivery times and lower transportation costs, as well as expanding deliveries to locations that do not have conventional flight facilities, such as roof spaces in dense cities.

Drones can also be used for air taxi services. In April, aviation authorities gave production certificates to unmanned aerial drone maker EHang Holdings for passenger drones, China's first certification for autonomous passenger drones.

On Saturday, August 10, commercial passenger helicopters for the first time took off from Kunshun, a city in Jiangsu province, to Shanghai Pudong Airport. Shanghai NewSky Heli Co. aims to cut travel time between these cities to 20 minutes from a few hours at a one-way rate of up to 1,800 yuan. It is estimated that up to 30,000 passengers will use this route, which will open on August 18. Shanghai plans to expand its low altitude path to include other cities in the delta of the Yangtze River.