Southwest China allocates $420 million to promote low-altitude economy

(ECNS) -- Southwest China's Sichuan Province will establish a special low-altitude economy fund with a total scale of 3 billion yuan (about $420 million) to foster a robust industrial ecosystem, according to Dai Yongbo, director of the Sichuan Provincial Development and Reform Commission, on Tuesday.

At the Sichuan Low-Altitude Economy Industry Chain Collaborative Development plus Product Launch Conference on the day, seven Sichuan-made low-altitude products were unveiled. Among them, the AE200 "flying car" independently developed by local company Aerofugia Technology is the country's first passenger-carrying eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) designed for low-altitude travel.

Dai noted that Sichuan will allocate 300 million yuan annually in provincial funds to support the development of the low-altitude economy and provide funding of up to 50 percent for eligible projects. Leading enterprises that drive clustering across the industry chain may receive rewards of up to 20 million yuan.

In 2025, over 400,000 square kilometers of reserved airspace were designated for low-altitude use in Sichuan. In scenarios such as short-distance transportation, logistics, food delivery, tourism, and premium transfers, flights can take off with just one hour's prior filing.

Currently, Sichuan is home to more than 200 low-altitude equipment manufacturers, 69 general aviation companies, and 1,419 drone operators. It also ranks first nationwide in the number of manned general aviation aircraft in service. 

(By Gong Weiwei)