China's Low-Altitude Economy Drones: A Core Player in Global Market Share and Future Landscape

 

1. Low-Altitude Economy Drones: Definition and Industrial Boundaries

 

Before discussing China’s global position in the low-altitude economy drone market, it is first necessary to clarify its core definition—low-altitude economy drones refer to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating in low-altitude airspace below 1,000 meters above the ground. Integrating technologies such as navigation, communication, and AI, they serve as carriers to provide services for scenarios including logistics and distribution, agricultural plant protection, power inspection, and urban governance. Unlike traditional consumer drones (e.g., aerial photography drones), low-altitude economy drones emphasize "industrial attributes" and act as the core transportation tools and value carriers of the low-altitude economy.

 

According to the definition by the China Air Transport Association (CATA), the low-altitude economy drone industry covers four major segments: "drone R&D and manufacturing, low-altitude operational services, airspace management systems, and supporting infrastructure." Its market size statistics include both hardware sales (drone airframes, batteries, sensors, etc.) and operational services (e.g., plant protection services, logistics and distribution orders)—a statistical standard commonly adopted globally (Source: CATA "Classification and Statistical Guidelines for the Low-Altitude Economy Drone Industry").

 

2. Global Market Size of Low-Altitude Economy Drones: 2024 Latest Data

 

To analyze China’s global share, it is essential to first grasp the overall scale of the global market. According to the "2024 Global Low-Altitude Economy Drone Industry Report" released by the European Drone Association (EUA), the global low-altitude economy drone market size reached USD 89 billion in 2024, with a year-on-year growth of 18.7%. The breakdown is as follows:

 

- The hardware manufacturing segment accounted for 58% (approximately USD 51.62 billion), mainly including industrial drone airframes and core components (e.g., flight control systems, millimeter-wave radars);

- The operational services segment accounted for 42% (approximately USD 37.38 billion), with logistics and distribution, power inspection, and agricultural plant protection as the three core scenarios, contributing 28%, 22%, and 19% of service revenue respectively (Source: EUA 2024 Global Drone Economy Report).

 

In a concurrent report, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supplemented that the growth drivers of the global low-altitude economy drone market in 2024 mainly came from two regions: "scenario penetration" in the Asia-Pacific (e.g., agricultural plant protection in China, urban logistics in India) and "high-end technology advancement" in North America (e.g., AI inspection systems for industrial drones in the U.S.). Together, these two regions contributed 76% of the global market growth (Source: FAA Drone Industry Outlook 2024).

 

3. China’s Low-Altitude Economy Drone Market Size and Global Share Analysis

 

3.1 China’s Market Size in 2024: Comprehensive Growth from Consumer-Grade to Industrial-Grade

 

According to CATA’s "2024 China Low-Altitude Economy Drone Industry Development Blue Book," China’s low-altitude economy drone market size reached USD 37.5 billion in 2024, with a year-on-year growth of 25.3%—significantly higher than the global average (18.7%). From a segmented perspective:

 

- The hardware manufacturing segment reached USD 22 billion, accounting for 58.7% of China’s market. Among them, sales of industrial drone airframes exceeded 120,000 units (up 32% year-on-year), and the localization rate of core components rose to 82% (e.g., DJI’s flight control systems, EHang Intelligent’s power systems);

- The operational services segment reached USD 15.5 billion, accounting for 41.3% of China’s market. Logistics drone delivery orders exceeded 50 million (with JD.com and SF Express contributing the majority share), agricultural plant protection service area surpassed 320 million mu (approximately 21.33 million hectares), and power inspection covered over 85% of China’s ultra-high-voltage transmission lines (Source: CATA "2024 China Low-Altitude Economy Drone Industry Development Blue Book").

 

3.2 Surpassing 42% Global Share: China’s Core Advantage Areas

 

Calculated as (China’s market size of USD 37.5 billion ÷ global market size of USD 89 billion), China’s share of the global low-altitude economy drone market in 2024 was approximately 42.1% —up 12.8 percentage points from 29.3% in 2020—making it the world’s largest low-altitude economy drone market.

 

In terms of segmented fields, China’s advantages focus on two directions:

 

1. Industrial Entry-Level Market Derived from Consumer-Grade Drones: For example, agricultural plant protection drones and small logistics drones, where China holds over 60% of the global market share. Taking agricultural plant protection as an example, DJI’s T40 drone accounts for 55% and 48% of the market share in Southeast Asia and South America respectively, mainly due to "high cost-effectiveness + localized services";

2. Density of Operational Service Scenarios: Leveraging its large population base and infrastructure demands, China’s operational services market accounts for 47% of the global total—far exceeding that of the U.S. (23%) and Europe (18%). For instance, SF Express’s drones have achieved regular "air express" operations in 12 cities including Shenzhen and Hangzhou, with a maximum daily delivery volume exceeding 100,000 orders—a scale unmatched by similar cases globally (Source: China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing "2024 Drone Logistics Development Report").

 

"The increase in China’s global share of low-altitude economy drones is essentially driven by both 'technological maturity and scenario penetration,'" said Zhang Ming, a researcher at the UAV Research Institute of Aviation Industry Corporation of China, in an interview. "Compared with European and American markets, China has greater advantages in the implementation speed of low-altitude opening policies and the completeness of industrial chain supporting facilities, allowing us to convert technology into market scale more quickly."

 

4. Core Drivers of China’s Leading Global Share

 

China’s dominance of over 40% of the global low-altitude economy drone market is no accident; it results from the combined effects of four factors: policy, technology, industrial chain, and scenarios.

 

4.1 Policy: "Breakthrough" in Low-Altitude Opening, Defining Industrial Development Path

 

In 2023, the State Council issued the "Guiding Opinions on Developing the Low-Altitude Economy," clearly stating that "by 2025, a number of low-altitude economy demonstration cities will be built, and the drone operational service system will be basically improved." It also included drone logistics and urban inspection in the "Key Task List for the Low-Altitude Economy" (Source: State Council "Guiding Opinions on Developing the Low-Altitude Economy").

 

At the local level, provinces such as Shenzhen, Anhui, and Hunan took the lead in piloting "classified management of low-altitude airspace": Shenzhen divided airspace below 1,000 meters into "controlled airspace, declared airspace, and autonomous flight airspace," with declared airspace accounting for over 60%. Enterprises only need to submit an online declaration 24 hours in advance to fly, significantly reducing operational costs. According to statistics from the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Transport, the number of low-altitude economy drone operation enterprises in Shenzhen increased by 45% year-on-year in 2024, with operating income exceeding USD 3 billion—accounting for 19.4% of the national total (Source: Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Transport "2024 Low-Altitude Economy Development White Paper").

 

4.2 Technology: From "Following" to "Leading," Independent Control of Core Links

 

China has made breakthroughs in core technology fields of low-altitude economy drones:

 

- Flight Control Systems: DJI’s FlightAutonomy system supports centimeter-level positioning accuracy and multi-drone collaborative flight, with a global market share of over 70%;

- Power Systems: The hydrogen fuel cell drones developed by EHang Intelligent have a battery life of over 4 hours—three times that of traditional lithium battery drones—and have been applied in offshore wind power inspection;

- AI Perception: SenseTime’s drone AI recognition system can real-time identify power line defects and crop diseases/insect pests with an accuracy rate of over 95%, and its processing speed is 20% faster than similar foreign products.

 

"The technology iteration speed of Chinese drone enterprises is the fastest in the world. They launch an upgraded product every 6 months on average, while European and American enterprises usually take 12-18 months," said Xu Huabin, Chief Strategy Officer of DJI, at the 2024 Global Drone Conference. "This speed advantage allows us to quickly respond to market demands. For example, the waterproof agricultural plant protection drones launched for the rainy season in Southeast Asia captured 35% of the local market within 3 months of launch."

 

4.3 Industrial Chain: Complete Supporting Facilities and Significant Cost Advantages

 

China has formed a complete low-altitude economy drone industrial chain covering "R&D - manufacturing - operation - services":

 

- Upstream: Shenzhen and Dongguan gather 70% of the world’s drone core component enterprises, such as DJI’s motor supplier (Shenzhen DJI Technology Co., Ltd.) and battery supplier (CATL). The procurement cost of components is 30%-40% lower than that in Europe and the U.S.;

- Midstream: There are over 500 drone airframe manufacturing enterprises with an annual production capacity exceeding 300,000 units. Large-scale production further reduces unit costs;

- Downstream: There are over 2,000 operational service enterprises capable of providing "drone + industry" solutions. For example, XAG’s "drone plant protection + farmland big data" services cover 20 provinces in China.

 

This industrial chain advantage enables Chinese low-altitude economy drones to be 20%-50% cheaper than similar European and American products. For instance, the unit price of Chinese agricultural plant protection drones is approximately RMB 30,000 (about USD 4,100), while the similar product from John Deere (U.S.) costs about USD 50,000—highlighting significant cost-effectiveness advantages (Source: China Academy of Electronics and Information Technology "2024 China Drone Industrial Chain Report").

 

4.4 Scenarios: From "Single-Point Pilots" to "Comprehensive Popularization"

 

China’s large population base and diverse industrial demands provide rich application scenarios for low-altitude economy drones:

 

- Logistics and Distribution: JD.com’s drones have realized a three-level "county - township - village" distribution network in rural areas of Sichuan and Yunnan, solving the "last-mile" problem in rural logistics. In 2024, they delivered over 1 million tons of agricultural products;

- Urban Governance: Shenzhen and Shanghai use drones for traffic patrols and illegal construction inspections, with efficiency over 10 times higher than manual work. In 2024, national revenue from drone-based urban governance services exceeded USD 4 billion;

- Emergency Rescue: During disasters such as the 2024 Henan heavy rains and Gansu earthquake, drones completed over 500 tons of material delivery and more than 1,000 life detection missions, becoming an "air force" in emergency rescue.

 

In contrast, the European and American markets have low penetration of low-altitude economy drones due to low population density and scattered scenarios. For example, U.S. drone logistics is mainly concentrated in remote areas, with operational orders in 2024 only 1/5 of China’s (Source: FAA Drone Industry Outlook 2024).

 

5. Global Market Pattern: Competition and Cooperation Between China and Major Economies

 

Although China accounts for 42% of the global market share, the global low-altitude economy drone market is not "dominated by one player." Economies such as the U.S., Europe, and Japan still have competitive advantages in high-end fields, forming a pattern where "China leads the mid-to-low-end market, and Europe and the U.S. lead the high-end market."

 

5.1 U.S.: Leader in the High-End Industrial-Grade Market

 

The U.S. dominates the high-end industrial drone market (e.g., oil and gas pipeline inspection, civil products derived from military reconnaissance), with a 2024 market size of approximately USD 21 billion—accounting for 23.6% of the global total. Its core advantages include:

 

- Technology Barriers: The civil version of General Atomics’ "Predator" drone has a battery life of over 20 hours and can be equipped with high-definition infrared sensors. It is mainly used for oil and gas pipeline leak detection, with a global market share of over 60%;

- Mature Regulations: As early as 2016, the FAA introduced remote identification rules for drones. In 2024, it further opened Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight permissions. Currently, BVLOS drone operations account for 35% of the U.S. market—far higher than China’s 15% (Source: FAA Drone Industry Outlook 2024).

 

5.2 Europe: Focus on Segmented Scenarios and Standard-Setting

 

Europe’s 2024 low-altitude economy drone market size was approximately USD 15 billion, accounting for 16.9% of the global total. Its advantages focus on two directions:

 

- Segmented Scenario Services: Bosch’s (Germany) drone warehouse logistics system can seamlessly connect with automated warehouses, holding over 40% of the global market share in auto parts distribution;

- Standard-Setting: The "drone classification standard" (classifying drones into C0-C4 based on weight and flight altitude) led by the EUA has been adopted by over 50 countries worldwide, giving Europe an advantage in standard discourse power (Source: EUA 2024 Global Drone Economy Report).

 

5.3 China, Japan, and South Korea: Cooperation and Competition in the Asia-Pacific Market

 

In the Asia-Pacific market, China, Japan, and South Korea form a pattern where "cooperation outweighs competition":

 

- China exports core drone components (e.g., flight control systems, batteries) to Japan and South Korea, with export volume exceeding USD 3 billion in 2024;

- Japan and South Korea have advantages in drone materials (e.g., lightweight composite materials) and precision sensors, providing supporting services for Chinese drone enterprises. For example, Toray’s (Japan) carbon fiber materials are used in DJI’s high-end drone airframes, reducing weight by 30% while increasing strength by 2 times (Source: China Council for the Promotion of International Trade "2024 Asia-Pacific Drone Trade Report").

 

6. Challenges and Solutions: Shortcomings and Responses of China’s Low-Altitude Economy Drones

 

Despite its leading market size, China still faces shortcomings in high-end fields. Failure to address these promptly may affect the future growth of its global share.

 

6.1 Core Technology Shortcomings: Dependence on Imports for High-End Chips and Precision Sensors

 

China’s low-altitude economy drones still face "chokepoints" in core components:

 

- High-End Chips: Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chips for drone AI processing are monopolized by Xilinx and Intel (U.S.), with Chinese enterprises accounting for less than 5% of the global market share. These chips directly affect the real-time data processing capabilities of drones;

- Precision Sensors: LiDAR for high-precision positioning is dominated by Hesai Technology (Japan) and Velodyne (U.S.), which hold 80% of the global market share. Chinese similar products still lag in ranging accuracy and anti-interference capabilities (Source: China Academy of Electronics and Information Technology "2024 China Drone Industrial Chain Report").

 

"Dependence on imports for core components not only increases costs but also poses supply chain risks," noted Zhang Ming, a researcher at the UAV Research Institute of Aviation Industry Corporation of China. "For example, the U.S. imposed export controls on high-end drone chips to China in 2024, delaying the R&D of high-end drones by some Chinese enterprises by 6-12 months."

 

6.2 Intensified International Competition: Europe and the U.S. Strengthen Policy Support

 

To compete with China, Europe and the U.S. have recently increased policy support for low-altitude economy drones:

 

- U.S.: In 2024, it issued the "Drone Industry Competitiveness Act," planning to invest USD 5 billion over the next 5 years to support R&D of core drone technologies, focusing on breakthroughs in hydrogen fuel cells and AI perception;

- EU: In 2024, it launched the "European Drone Initiative," aiming to increase Europe’s low-altitude economy drone market size to USD 50 billion by 2030 (accounting for 30% of the global total) and establish a "European Drone Certification System" to raise access thresholds for non-European products (Source: European Commission "European Drone Initiative (2024-2030)").

 

6.3 Solutions: Technological Breakthroughs and International Layout

 

To address the above challenges, China’s low-altitude economy drone industry is making breakthroughs in two directions:

 

1. Technological Breakthroughs: At the national level, the "Core Technology Special Project for Low-Altitude Economy Drones" was launched, with USD 3 billion invested in 2024 to support R&D of high-end chips and precision sensors. It is expected that by 2026, the localization rate will rise to over 90%;

2. International Layout: Chinese enterprises are expanding the global market through "technology output + localized production." For example, DJI established a drone assembly plant in Vietnam to produce agricultural plant protection drones for the Southeast Asian market, with overseas revenue accounting for 45% of its total in 2024; XAG set up a R&D center in Brazil to adapt to local agricultural needs, with revenue in the South American market growing by 60% year-on-year in 2024 (Source: CATA "2024 China Low-Altitude Economy Drone Industry Development Blue Book").

 

7. Forecast 2025-2030: How Will China’s Global Share Evolve?

 

According to the "Global Low-Altitude Economy Drone Market Forecast Report (2025-2030)" released by IDC, the global low-altitude economy drone market will maintain an annual growth rate of 15%-20% over the next 6 years, with the market size expected to exceed USD 200 billion by 2030. Among them, China’s market will continue to lead, with an expected 2030 market size of USD 95 billion—accounting for approximately 47.5% of the global total, up 5.4 percentage points from 2024 (Source: IDC "Global Low-Altitude Economy Drone Market Forecast 2025-2030").

 

The core basis for IDC’s forecast includes:

 

1. Continuous Policy Support: China plans to build 50 low-altitude economy demonstration cities by 2025 and achieve "low-altitude access in every county" by 2030, further opening up low-altitude airspace;

2. Technological Breakthroughs: China’s R&D in hydrogen fuel cells and AI multi-drone collaboration will enter a harvest period between 2025 and 2027, significantly enhancing the competitiveness of high-end drone products;

3. Scenario Expansion: Urban Air Mobility (UAM) will become a new growth driver. By 2030, China’s drone passenger transportation and air taxi market size is expected to exceed USD 10 billion, accounting for over 50% of the global total.

 

"China’s global share of low-altitude economy drones will continue to rise, but the growth rate will slow down as Europe and the U.S. catch up in high-end fields," said Li Meng, Senior Analyst at IDC China. "The future competition focus will be on 'standard discourse power' and 'high-end product share.' Whoever dominates the global technical standards for low-altitude economy drones will gain an advantage in long-term competition."

 

8. Conclusion: Low-Altitude Economy Drones Lead China’s New Aviation Industry Track

 

From 29.3% to 42.1% global share, China’s low-altitude economy drones have become a core player in the global market within 4 years. This is not only a victory for "Made in China" but also for "China Scenarios"—the combination of huge industrial demand, complete industrial chain support, and flexible policy support has built China’s competitive advantage.

 

In the future, with technological breakthroughs and deepened international layout, China’s low-altitude economy drones are expected to increase their global share to 47.5% by 2030, becoming the "engine" of global low-altitude economy development. However, it is also necessary to address shortcomings in high-end chips and standard-setting. Through "technological breakthroughs + international cooperation," China’s low-altitude economy drone industry can move from "scale leadership" to "quality leadership," truly becoming a global leader in the low-altitude economy.

 

 

Low-Altitude Economy UAVs: In-Depth Analysis of Current Status, Application Scenarios, and Future Trends

Introduction: Low-Altitude Economy UAVs – A New Economic Engine Activating the "Fifth Space"

 

With technological iteration and policy relaxation, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), once considered a "niche field", are gradually integrating into the core landscape of the low-altitude economy. The so-called "low-altitude economy" refers to production, service, and consumption activities carried out in low-altitude areas below 3,000 meters. As the most representative equipment carrier in this field, low-altitude economy UAVs have expanded from traditional aerial photography and plant protection scenarios to diversified areas such as logistics distribution, urban inspection, and emergency rescue, becoming a "new driver" for boosting economic growth and improving social operation efficiency.

 

According to the 2024 White Paper on Low-Altitude Economy Development released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) , the total market scale of China's low-altitude economy exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan in 2024, among which industries related to low-altitude economy UAVs contributed over 35%. It is expected that this proportion will rise to more than 40% in 2025. Behind these figures lies the combined effect of technological breakthroughs, policy support, and market demand, marking that low-altitude economy UAVs have officially entered the "first year of large-scale application".

 

I. Industry Status: Market Scale and Growth Drivers of Low-Altitude Economy UAVs

 

1.1 Market Scale: From "Niche Pilot" to "Trillion-Yuan Track"

 

In recent years, the market for low-altitude economy UAVs has shown an "explosive growth" trend. Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)  shows that by the end of 2024, the number of civil UAVs in China had exceeded 1.5 million, among which low-altitude economy UAVs for commercial operations (such as logistics UAVs and industrial inspection UAVs) accounted for 62% – an increase of 38 percentage points compared with 2020.

 

"The growth rate of low-altitude economy UAVs in terms of both ownership and operational frequency has exceeded expectations," said Wang Xia, Secretary-General of the General Aviation Branch of the China Air Transport Association, in an interview. "In 2024, the cumulative commercial flight hours of low-altitude economy UAVs in China reached 8.7 million hours, a 51% increase compared with 2023. Among them, logistics distribution and power inspection were the main growth areas, contributing 32% and 28% of the total flight hours respectively."

 

From a regional perspective, the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regions have become the "core application areas" for low-altitude economy UAVs. Taking Shenzhen as an example, in 2024, the output value of industries related to low-altitude economy UAVs in the city exceeded 80 billion yuan, accounting for 18% of the national total. Companies such as SF Express and DJI have deployed UAV logistics pilots and Low-Altitude Traffic Management (UTM) systems here, which have achieved regular operations.

 

1.2 Growth Drivers: "Three-Wheel Drive" of Technology, Policy, and Demand

 

The rapid development of low-altitude economy UAVs is supported by three core drivers:

 

- Technological Breakthroughs: The energy density of lithium batteries has increased from 250 Wh/kg in 2020 to 350 Wh/kg in 2024, extending the endurance of medium-sized logistics UAVs from 1 hour to 2.5 hours. At the same time, the integration of AI visual recognition and Beidou high-precision positioning technology has significantly improved the autonomous obstacle avoidance and precise operation capabilities of low-altitude economy UAVs.

- Policy Support: The 2024 National Low-Altitude Economy Development Plan clearly states that "by 2025, more than 10 national low-altitude economy demonstration zones will be built to promote the large-scale application of low-altitude economy UAVs in logistics, inspection, rescue, and other fields" (Source link: Ministry of Industry and Information Technology). At the local level, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and other regions have introduced "low-altitude flight approval simplification plans", reducing the approval time for commercial UAV flights from 7 working days to 1-2 working days.

- Market Demand: In the post-pandemic era, the demand for "contactless delivery" has accelerated the implementation of logistics UAVs. At the same time, industries such as electric power and oil and gas have seen a surge in demand for "unmanned inspection". According to data from the State Grid (Source link: State Grid Corporation of China), in 2024, the inspection mileage completed by low-altitude economy UAVs exceeded 500,000 kilometers, with efficiency more than three times that of manual inspection.

 

II. Policy Support: Multiple Countries Strengthening Support for Low-Altitude Economy UAV Development

 

2.1 China: From "Top-Level Design" to "Implementation Rules"

 

China's policy support for low-altitude economy UAVs has formed a complete system of "national planning + local pilots + industry standards". In June 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the CAAC jointly issued the Measures for the Safety Operation Management of Low-Altitude Economy UAVs, which for the first time clarified that "micro UAVs (weight < 250g) can fly without approval in suitable areas, and light UAVs (250g-4kg) need to be reported online 1 hour in advance" – greatly lowering the threshold for commercial operations (Source link:Civil Aviation Administration of China ).

 

"The core of the policy is 'equal emphasis on safety and development'," Zhang Sen, Deputy Director of the Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Department of the CAAC, pointed out at the 2024 China Low-Altitude Economy Forum. "On the one hand, we monitor low-altitude economy UAVs in real time through the UTM system; on the other hand, we simplify the approval process to enable the rapid implementation of technological innovation. For example, the UAV logistics pilot in Shenzhen has realized the full-chain low-altitude delivery 'from airport to community'."

 

2.2 International: Europe and the US Focus on "Technical Standards and Cross-Regional Coordination"

 

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched the "Low-Altitude UAS Traffic Management (UAS TM) System" in 2024, allowing low-altitude economy UAVs to conduct commercial operations in urban low-altitude areas. It also established a "UAV operator qualification classification system" and formulated differentiated standards for different scenarios such as logistics and inspection (Source link: Federal Aviation Administration). The European Union, through the "Single European Sky" program, promotes the unification of flight rules for low-altitude economy UAVs among member states, solving the problem of "difficult cross-border flight approval" (Source link: European Commission).

 

"Compared with China, Europe and the US pay more attention to the unification of technical standards and cross-regional coordination," said Mark Moore, a professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University, in an interview. "However, the global consensus on the development of low-altitude economy UAVs is: it is necessary to clarify 'low-altitude usage rights' through policies and establish a safety supervision system to release industrial potential."

 

III. Application Scenarios: Core Landing Fields of Low-Altitude Economy UAVs

 

3.1 Agriculture: From "Manual Plant Protection" to "Precision UAV Operations"

 

Agriculture is one of the earliest landing scenarios for low-altitude economy UAVs, and its application has expanded from "single plant protection" to the entire chain of "sowing, fertilization, and pest monitoring". According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (Source link: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China), in 2024, the plant protection area of low-altitude economy UAVs in China exceeded 100 million mu (1 mu ≈ 0.0667 hectares), accounting for 55% of the country's total cultivated land area – an increase of 27 percentage points compared with 2020.

 

"The efficiency of UAV plant protection is more than 20 times that of manual work, and the utilization rate of pesticides has increased from 30% to 60%," introduced Chen Tao, General Manager of DJI's Agricultural Division. "Our T60 agricultural UAV is equipped with a multispectral camera and an AI recognition system, which can accurately identify crop pests and diseases and realize 'variable fertilization' – helping farmers reduce fertilizer use by 15% per mu and increase income by 10%-15%."

 

In the Sanjiang Plain in Northeast China, large-scale farms have realized "UAV cluster operations" – a formation of 10 UAVs can complete the plant protection task for 5,000 mu of corn fields in one day, reducing costs by more than 80% compared with traditional manual work.

 

3.2 Logistics: "Low-Altitude Delivery" Solving the "Last Mile" Problem

 

Logistics is the fastest-growing scenario for low-altitude economy UAVs. In 2024, the number of UAV logistics delivery orders in China exceeded 120 million, with SF Express and JD.com as the main promoters. SF Express has deployed a "UAV delivery network" in Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and other cities, building a three-level delivery system of "airport - transfer warehouse - community". Medium-sized logistics UAVs can carry 5-10 kg of goods, with an endurance of 2.5 hours and a coverage radius of 50 kilometers.

 

"In Longhua District, Shenzhen, our UAVs complete more than 2,000 orders of fresh food and medicine delivery every day, with the average delivery time reduced from 1.5 hours to 25 minutes," said Wang Li, Head of the UAV Division of SF Express, in an interview. "Low-altitude economy UAVs solve the 'last 3 kilometers' delivery problem in cities, especially during morning and evening rush hours and in bad weather. During Typhoon Talim in 2024, UAVs in Shenzhen completed more than 300 emergency medicine deliveries, ensuring residents' needs."

 

3.3 Urban Inspection: "Unmanned Operations" Improving Urban Governance Efficiency

 

The application of low-altitude economy UAVs in urban inspection covers multiple sub-fields such as electric power, transportation, and environmental protection. According to data from the State Grid (Source link: State Grid Corporation of China ), in 2024, the transmission line inspection mileage completed by low-altitude economy UAVs exceeded 500,000 kilometers, with the accuracy rate of detecting line defects reaching 98% – an increase of 20 percentage points compared with manual inspection, while reducing costs by more than 60%.

 

In terms of traffic management, traffic police departments in many places use low-altitude economy UAVs to carry out "illegal parking capture" and traffic congestion alleviation. Taking Hangzhou as an example, in 2024, the city's traffic police UAVs captured more than 120,000 illegally parked vehicles and alleviated more than 3,000 congested sections, improving the traffic efficiency of urban main roads by 15%.

 

"The core advantages of UAV inspection are 'wide perspective, high efficiency, and strong safety'," said Li Peng, Director of the UAV Application Research Institute of the China Electric Power Research Institute. "Previously, it took 3 days for manual inspection to check a 50-kilometer transmission line, but now UAVs only take 2 hours. Moreover, they can enter areas difficult for humans to reach, such as mountainous areas and rivers, greatly reducing the safety risks for inspectors."

 

3.4 Emergency Rescue: "Low-Altitude Pioneers" Safeguarding Lives and Property

 

In the field of emergency rescue, low-altitude economy UAVs have become key equipment for "rapid response and precise rescue". In 2024, China's emergency management departments deployed more than 2,000 sorties of low-altitude economy UAVs to participate in disaster rescues such as earthquakes, floods, and forest fires, rescuing more than 300 people and reducing property losses by more than 1 billion yuan (Source link: Ministry of Emergency Management).

 

"During the Jishishan earthquake in Gansu in 2024, our UAVs took off 15 minutes after the earthquake. Through thermal imaging cameras, they found 12 trapped people and transmitted their location information to the rescue team in real time, buying precious time for the rescue," introduced Zhao Hui, Captain of the Aviation Rescue Corps of the Ministry of Emergency Management. "In addition, UAVs can also carry emergency supplies and drop food, medicine, and communication equipment to trapped areas, solving the 'last 1 kilometer' rescue problem."

 

IV. Behind Opportunities: Challenges and Breakthrough Paths for Low-Altitude Economy UAVs

 

4.1 Core Challenges: "Three Tests" of Supervision, Technology, and Safety

 

Despite the rapid development of low-altitude economy UAVs, they still face three core challenges:

 

- Lagging Regulatory System: With the surge in the number of UAVs, problems such as "low-altitude congestion" and "unauthorized flights interfering with navigation" have become prominent. In 2024, China experienced 12 incidents of UAVs interfering with civil aviation flights, a 50% increase compared with 2023. The main reason is that the Low-Altitude Traffic Management (UTM) system has not yet achieved nationwide networking, and flight rules vary across regions.

- Core Technologies to Be Breakthrough: Currently, the lithium battery endurance of China's low-altitude economy UAVs still cannot meet the needs of long-distance operations (medium-sized UAVs generally have an endurance of 2-3 hours). At the same time, the autonomous obstacle avoidance capability of UAVs still has shortcomings in complex urban environments (such as high-rise buildings and power lines). In 2024, UAV accidents caused by obstacle avoidance failures accounted for 35%.

- Prominent Safety Risks: Safety risks such as "uncontrolled falling" and "data leakage" of UAVs cannot be ignored. In 2024, there were 87 incidents of uncontrolled UAV falls nationwide, among which 12 caused injuries. In addition, some low-altitude data collected by UAVs (such as urban buildings and transportation hubs) has leakage risks, requiring strengthened data security management.

 

4.2 Breakthrough Paths: "Collaborative Efforts" of Policy, Technology, and Industry

 

In response to the above challenges, industry experts propose three breakthrough paths:

 

- Improve the Regulatory System: "We should accelerate the construction of a nationwide unified UTM system to realize the full-chain management of UAVs' 'pre-flight reporting, in-flight monitoring, and post-flight traceability'," suggested Wang Xia. "At the same time, we can learn from Shenzhen's experience, divide 'no-fly zones, restricted flight zones, and suitable flight zones', and establish a 'UAV operator credit scoring system' to punish illegal flights."

- Break Through Core Technologies: "Lithium battery technology is the current key bottleneck. We need to increase R&D investment in solid-state batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, and strive to increase UAV endurance to 4-5 hours by 2027," said Mark Moore. "In addition, we should strengthen the integration of AI and UAVs to improve the autonomous obstacle avoidance and decision-making capabilities of UAVs in complex environments. For example, through 'multi-UAV collaboration' technology, UAVs can achieve 'orderly flight' in congested areas."

- Strengthen Safety Management: "We need to establish a 'full-life-cycle safety management system' for UAVs, implementing safety responsibilities throughout the entire process from production and sales to operation," suggested Li Peng. "At the same time, strengthen the management of UAV data security, clarify standards for data collection, storage, and transmission, and prevent the leakage of sensitive data."

 

V. The Future is Here: Three Development Trends of Low-Altitude Economy UAVs

 

5.1 Trend 1: "AI + UAVs" Realizing "Autonomous and Intelligent" Operations

 

In the future, low-altitude economy UAVs will upgrade from "semi-autonomous" to "fully autonomous", and AI technology will be deeply integrated into flight control, task execution, and other links. For example, UAVs can analyze environmental data (such as weather, terrain, and obstacles) in real time through AI algorithms and independently plan the optimal flight path. In agricultural scenarios, UAVs can identify crop growth status through AI and automatically adjust plant protection plans. In logistics scenarios, UAVs can cooperate with ground robots to realize fully automated operations of "aerial delivery + ground connection".

 

"It is expected that by 2026, 80% of low-altitude economy UAVs will have full autonomous flight capabilities and can complete complex tasks without human intervention," predicted Chen Tao. "This will significantly reduce operating costs and promote the expansion of UAVs from 'professional applications' to 'mass services'."

 

5.2 Trend 2: "Hybrid Power + Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL)" Expanding Application Boundaries

 

To solve the problems of short endurance and limited take-off and landing sites, low-altitude economy UAVs will gradually adopt "hybrid power (fuel + electricity)" and "Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL)" technologies. For example, the endurance of hybrid-powered UAVs can be increased to 5-8 hours, meeting the needs of long-distance logistics and cross-regional inspection. VTOL technology allows UAVs to take off and land in narrow areas such as urban rooftops and rural open spaces without the need for dedicated runways, further expanding application scenarios.

 

"At present, SF Express has been testing hybrid-powered logistics UAVs with an endurance of up to 6 hours, covering a radius of 100 kilometers, which can be used for 'inter-city logistics distribution' in the future," introduced Wang Li. "VTOL technology will promote the large-scale application of UAVs in urban low-altitude logistics. It is expected that by 2025, cities such as Shenzhen and Hangzhou will build a network of 'UAV VTOL sites' to realize '30-minute inter-city delivery'."

 

5.3 Trend 3: "Low-Altitude Traffic Management (UTM) System" Achieving "Nationwide Networking"

 

With the surge in the number of low-altitude economy UAVs, the construction of a nationwide unified UTM system will become a priority. In the future, the UTM system will realize the interconnection of "UAVs, manned aircraft, and low-altitude infrastructure", and solve the problem of "low-altitude congestion" through real-time monitoring and dynamic scheduling. For example, in urban low-altitude areas, the UTM system can allocate "flight routes" and "flight altitudes" for UAVs to avoid collisions between multiple UAVs. At the same time, the UTM system can also coordinate with ground transportation systems to realize the integrated scheduling of "low-altitude logistics + ground transportation".

 

"It is expected that by 2027, China will build a nationwide unified UTM system, realizing 'one-click reporting and nationwide access' for low-altitude economy UAVs, and completely solving the problem of difficult cross-regional flight approval," said Zhang Sen. "This will lay the foundation for the large-scale application of low-altitude economy UAVs and promote the industry to enter a 'trillion-yuan' development stage."

 

Conclusion: Low-Altitude Economy UAVs – Reconstructing the Industrial Value of the "Fifth Space"

 

From agricultural plant protection to logistics distribution, from urban inspection to emergency rescue, low-altitude economy UAVs are using "technological innovation" as a pen to depict the future blueprint of the low-altitude economy. Despite facing challenges in supervision, technology, and safety, driven by policy support, market demand, and technological breakthroughs, low-altitude economy UAVs will surely become the core force to activate the "Fifth Space", inject new momentum into economic growth, and improve new efficiency for social operations.

 

As Wang Xia said: "Low-altitude economy UAVs are not only a kind of equipment, but also a kind of 'low-altitude productivity'. They will reconstruct the way humans use 'space', promoting human society from 'ground economy' to 'low-altitude economy' and opening a new 'low-altitude era'."