Low-altitude economy takes off in Yangtze Delta

An air taxi service connecting airport terminals in Shanghai and the nearby city of Kunshan, Jiangsu province, completed a trial flight on Saturday, marking a new push in the development of the low-altitude economy, a strategic emerging industry.

The service is operated by Shanghai Newsky Helicopter Co.

The one-way, 82-kilometer trip, from Kunshan's airport to Pudong district's Xingye aviation base near Shanghai Pudong International Airport, took around 25 minutes aboard a Bell 505 helicopter capable of a top speed of 231 km/h, according to the Shanghai Economy and Informatization Commission. The commute using ordinary transportation can take up to two hours.

The official launch of the service is scheduled for Sunday, with booking available through the company's WeChat account or at the Kunshan airport terminal, according to Huang Jialei, marketing manager at Newsky Helicopter, which was established in 2016 and has previously run charter flights for businesses.

The promotional one-way fare is set at between 1,600 yuan and 1,800 yuan ($223 to $251) per person, and the service is projected to ferry up to 30,000 passengers annually.

"Our previous business charter flights operated customized routes priced per hour, typically ranging from 50,000 to 80,000 yuan," Huang said. "For the air taxi service, the pickup and drop-off points are fixed, with scheduled flights priced per seat, which is much cheaper.

"For the public, this offers an additional choice for travel that is more time-efficient and convenient," she said. "Our main customers include business travelers as well as those keen to experience aerial mobility."

The operator sees the pilot project as part of developing the low-altitude economy, which was called for in the resolution adopted by the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in July.

"The low-altitude economy is the subject of widespread discussion, and our company has been exploring practical applications," Huang said.

The low-altitude economy focuses on aviation activity using manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, such as passenger transportation, air tourism and cargo delivery, in airspace at altitudes of up to 1,000 meters.

Liu Daxiang, China's leading aero engine expert and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said during a seminar in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, last month that "like land and sea, low altitude is one of the precious natural resources of the nation", adding that the low-altitude economy is expected to be a powerful engine for the high-quality development of the Chinese economy.

The Shanghai Economy and Informatization Commission said that new low-altitude intercity routes are also planned, such as from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to the cruise terminal in Baoshan district. The service is expected to expand to the Yangtze River Delta region, aiming to link Shanghai with economic hubs in the delta, such as the cities of Taicang and Wujiang in Jiangsu.

On July 30, Shanghai unveiled a development action plan for the low-altitude economy industry, setting targets for the city in this field.

Key initiatives include jointly developing an interprovincial urban air mobility network across the Yangtze River Delta region and establishing a cutting-edge sea-coast-city commercial smart logistics system.