On October 26th, at the "General Aviation and Low altitude Economic Development Sub Forum" of the 2nd CATA Aviation Conference, the China Air Transport Association (hereinafter referred to as "CAAA") released the "China General Aviation Development Report" and "China UAV Development Report" for the years 2023-2024 (hereinafter referred to as "the two reports"). From January to July 2024, a total of 517000 yuan was spent on commercial flights for general aviation. From January to June 2024, unmanned aerial vehicles accumulated 981000 flight hours, an increase of 134000 hours year-on-year. In addition, as of the end of June 2024, there are 14000 unmanned aerial vehicle companies in China holding valid operating certificates.
At the sub forum, Du Wanying, Deputy General Manager of the General Aviation Business Department of the China Aviation Association, interpreted the data from two reports. Among them, in terms of operating enterprises, as of the end of 2023, a total of 690 general aviation enterprises in China have obtained general aviation operating licenses, a net increase of 29 compared to 2022; There are 19825 aviation enterprises that have obtained aviation operation licenses and use civilian drones, a net increase of 4695 from the end of 2022. As of July 2024, there are 712 aviation enterprises in China.
Du Wanying also mentioned the relevant data of aircraft and general airports. According to two reports, as of the end of 2023, the total number of registered general aviation aircraft in China is 5016, a net increase of 160 compared to the end of last year; There are a total of 1.267 million registered drones in the entire industry, and as of the end of June 2024, there are approximately 1.875 million operational drones in the industry. As of the end of 2023, there are a total of 449 registered general aviation airports in China, with a net increase of 50 compared to the same period last year; As of the end of July 2024, there are 465 general aviation airports in China. Du Wanying stated that this year's two reports have added a summary of the situation of general aviation airports in various provinces, cities, and districts. Currently, Heilongjiang Province has more general aviation airports, with a total of 90, Guangdong Province has 58, and Jiangsu Province has 32.
Regarding China's advantages in the low altitude industry, Jin Wei, Deputy Secretary General of the China UAV Industry Innovation Alliance, stated in his keynote speech that China's growth rate in the UAV field is relatively fast, accounting for over 70% of the global market share.
According to Jin Wei's analysis, on the one hand, China has made breakthroughs in the research and certification of aircraft products, and the competitiveness of the industrial chain continues to improve. In the field of low altitude manufacturing, there are not only a group of leading enterprises, but also globally leading battery and motor technologies and low altitude intelligent networking infrastructure systems. On the other hand, China's industrial infrastructure has strong supporting capabilities and strong policy support, providing a solid foundation for the large-scale and normalized application of the low altitude industry in the future.
In Jin Wei's view, the process of accelerating the maturity of the low altitude economy will be divided into several stages: the cultivation stage from now until 2027; 2027-2035 is the explosive stage; After 2035, eVTOL products will enter households, and the infrastructure system and operational supervision system at all levels will be established and improved.
Therefore, the development of China's low altitude economy should first prioritize the development of the drone industry, while filling in the gaps in development. Jin Wei suggested that the construction of the industrial system should be accelerated. In terms of safe operation, we should promote the establishment of a low altitude safe and efficient operation system, especially a low altitude safe and efficient operation system suitable for digital operation; In terms of infrastructure, establish a standardized and networked infrastructure system, and build an efficient and integrated industrial ecosystem.
