Over the weekend, engineers conducted a test flight of China’s Largest Cargo Drone to date, while a new helicopter taxi service was launched on a 100-km (62-mile) route to Shanghai, marking significant progress in the country’s growing low-altitude economy.
The drone, developed by state-backed Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation Co, boasts a payload capacity of 2 metric tons and made its debut flight in southwestern Sichuan province. The twin-engine drone, with a wingspan of 16.1 meters (52.8 feet) and a height of 4.6 meters (15 feet), is slightly larger than the popular Cessna 172.
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China’s top drone manufacturers are increasingly testing larger payloads as the country opens up its airspace and encourages the development of a low-altitude economy. The aviation regulator projects a 2-trillion-yuan ($279 billion) industry by 2030, representing a fourfold increase from 2023.
The Tengden drone’s test follows the June flight of a cargo drone by Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), which has a 700 kg (1,543 pounds) payload capacity and a 520 km range. AVIC is planning to test its largest cargo drone, the TP2000, next year, which can carry up to 2 tons and has a flight range four times that of the HH-100.
Commercial drone deliveries have already started in China. In May, Phoenix Wings, a subsidiary of SF Express, began transporting fresh fruit from Hainan to Guangdong using Fengzhou-90 drones.
Cargo drones are expected to reduce delivery times and costs while expanding service to areas without traditional aviation infrastructure, like city rooftops. Passenger-carrying drones are also on the horizon. In April, EHang Holdings received China’s first certification for an autonomous passenger drone.
On Saturday, a manned commercial helicopter service began operating between Kunshun in Jiangsu province and Shanghai Pudong Airport. Shanghai NewSky Heli Co aims to reduce travel time to 20 minutes from several hours, with an estimated 30,000 passengers expected annually. The service, starting on August 18, is part of Shanghai’s plans to expand low-altitude routes throughout the Yangtze River delta.
