Recently, the Central Air Control Commission issued special measures to deploy and strengthen low-altitude air control work to the national air control system in terms of improving the low-altitude management system, optimizing the allocation of air space resources, improving the quality and efficiency of operation services, consolidating basic support capabilities, and strengthening the control of air and air use according to law. my country's low-altitude economy ushers in new development opportunities.

  Continue to deepen management

  From the central government to the local government, a series of policy "combination punches" have been launched one after another, and a number of low-altitude economic projects with high positions, wide layout and sufficient resources have been implemented one after another, and the industry has ushered in an unprecedented period of opportunity.

  At present, low-altitude economy is not only a hot spot in the economic field, but also an important part of the national strategic layout. Zhang Jianwei, deputy director of the National Air Control Automation System Technology Key Laboratory, believes that the special measures of the Central Air Control Commission are a further deepening of the low-altitude economic policy system in recent years, aiming to promote high-quality development of the industry through top-level design.

  Liu Zhenguo, deputy director of the Comprehensive Transportation Research Center of the Science Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport and an expert in the think tank of the Sustainable Transportation Innovation Center, said that the Central Air Control Commission has deployed and strengthened low-altitude air control work to the national air control system, with the improvement of the low-altitude management system and the optimization of airspace as the core. It is an important symbol of my country's low-altitude economy shifting from pilot exploration to systematic construction, and is of great significance to optimizing the allocation of airspace resources, improving the efficiency of airspace utilization, and promoting the safe and orderly development of the low-altitude economy.

  By establishing a more flexible and efficient airspace management model, dynamic classification management of airspace can be realized, approval process can be simplified, and the operation characteristics of low-altitude aircraft with high density, high frequency and multi-mode are more consistent with the operation characteristics of low-altitude aircraft, which is of great significance to improving the efficiency of airspace use and cultivating application scenarios.

  Liu Zhenguo pointed out that in the next step, we can strengthen the monitoring capabilities of low-altitude aircraft by promoting real-name authentication of drones, compulsory insurance insurance and the joint punishment mechanism of "blacklist" to lay the foundation for high-risk scenarios such as manned flight of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles.

  Multiple parties work together

  With the continuous optimization of airspace resource allocation, more low-altitude flight activities have been carried out, providing relevant companies with huge market opportunities.

  Zhejiang Jiaxing Bolain Aviation Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 2022 and is a chain owner enterprise for aircraft research and development, production and operation. Wan Jianxiong, general manager of the company, introduced that in the context of the country's vigorous development of low-altitude economy and green aircraft industry, the company has carried out the construction and operation of green flight camps and vertical take-off and landing platforms across the country, creating a low-altitude economic operation scenario integrating flight training experience, aerial tours, aviation science popularization research and other activities, as well as a low-altitude economic operation scenario that is closely integrated with local economic activities and serves cultural tourism and industrial and agricultural production.

  "As a 'blue ocean' market, the low-altitude economy is a growth opportunity for technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises." Cao Yong, senior director of Enli Power's low-altitude economy business department, believes that driven by the dual wheels of policy and technology, the low-altitude economy is forming an industrial closed loop of "manufacturing-operation-service". Enli Power has joined hands with head aircraft manufacturers to carry out targeted research and development to break through the battery technology bottleneck of high specific energy, high magnification and high safety.

  Zhang Jianwei suggested that efforts should be made in concert to promote high-quality development of low-altitude economy. Low-altitude economic enterprises should increase investment in R&D in key technologies, focus on breaking through technical bottlenecks such as high-precision positioning, independent obstacle avoidance, conflict detection, etc., strengthen cooperation with universities and research institutions, and accelerate the transformation of technological achievements. The government can cooperate with enterprises to formulate unified infrastructure construction standards, and attract social capital to participate through the public-private joint venture model, encourage the development of new business formats such as low-altitude tourism, emergency rescue, and private flight, and expand the manned and aircraft market.

  Achieve orderly development

  At present, the low-altitude economy is developing well, but it still faces problems such as imperfect management system, technical bottlenecks and security challenges. In particular, the existing management concepts, regulations, service guarantee systems, regulatory technical means, etc. are not in line with the industry's development needs, especially the requirements for safe development.

  Liu Zhenguo pointed out that the low-altitude economy faces the following problems: First, the risk of safe operation is high, the airspace adaptation needs to be further refined, and the value of the airspace economics has not been fully released; Second, the key core technologies are still weak, and there are constraints on core equipment such as communication navigation, engines, as well as technologies such as drone batteries and noise reduction; Third, the industrialization path is still unclear, and the sustainable operation model is not clear, resulting in slow productization progress; Fourth, it faces a gap in rules and standards and talent reserves.

  In this regard, he suggested that the duties and responsibilities of all parties in low-altitude airspace management should be clarified based on the characteristics of low-altitude aircraft "low slow and small" and combined with the pilot reform of low-altitude airspace management, and the low-altitude airspace classification management and control model should be optimized. Strengthen the coordinated management of airspace, simplify relevant procedures, and effectively activate low-altitude airspace resources. At the same time, we will build a low-altitude comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network to cultivate and explore application scenarios in the low-altitude economic field, and avoid excessive subsidies for fiscal funds and blind capital investment.

  Zhang Jianwei suggested that by building a unified management platform, strengthening technical research, improving infrastructure and regulatory systems, cultivating market models, and strengthening the coordination between industry, academia and research, we can promote the low-altitude economy to achieve safe, efficient and sustainable development, and help it grow into a new growth engine for the national economy. (Reporter Chang Li)

[Editor in charge: Zhou Jingjie]