Largest UAV testing area gets approval

Shijiazhuang's expanded site propels low-altitude economy to new heights

An industrial park in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, has recently obtained approval for developing and managing the largest unmanned aerial vehicle test flight area in North China, promoting further development of the burgeoning low-altitude economy.

Covering an area of approximately 600 square kilometers in various districts and counties in Shijiazhuang, the UAV test flight area spans 25 km in length and 23 km in width, with a maximum flying altitude of 4,000 meters, surpassing the usual 3,000-meter altitude limit of typical test flight areas, according to Guo Ruigang, deputy director of the Administrative Committee of the Shijiazhuang Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park in Luancheng district.

"The larger area resolves the issue of limited airspace for UAV operations, meeting the flight testing needs of numerous aviation manufacturing enterprises in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and even across China," Guo said.

The zone beneath the test flight area is primarily mountainous with low population density, making it ideal for companies to conduct UAV flight tests, according to Chen Chen, chairman of Hebei Aviation Investment Low Altitude Industry Development Co.

Zhang Minghui, chief engineer of CAIGA North China Aircraft Industry Co, added that the area is suitable for both unmanned and manned aircraft, facilitating various industries in the low-altitude economic scope, such as aviation emergency rescue, air transport, artificial weather modification, low-altitude tourism, pilot training and the testing of large industrial-grade UAVs.

"We will attract the upstream and downstream industries of general aviation and UAVs to the industrial park, contributing to the development of a low-altitude economic industry cluster," Zhang said.

As a leading enterprise in the park, his company is also one of the largest and most comprehensive companies in China for general aviation and UAV research and manufacturing.

The low-altitude economy Zhang mentioned is an economic concept that relies on low-altitude airspace, involving low-altitude flight, air tourism, passenger transportation, general aviation services, and scientific research and education.

The value of China's low-altitude economy as of the end of last year was estimated at more than 500 billion yuan ($69.78 billion) and is expected to rise to 2 trillion yuan by 2030, according to Xinhua News Agency, quoting the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The low-altitude manufacturing and operational services will contribute the most — nearly 55 percent, according to Zhang Xueqian, deputy director of the park's investment promotion bureau.

"The development potential of low-altitude infrastructure and flight support has not been fully realized yet," Zhang said, adding that the low-altitude operational services are closely related to daily needs such as medical health, agriculture, forestry and emergency rescue.

Currently, the Hebei Aviation Investment Low Altitude Industry Development Co has collaborated with China Mobile to conduct UAV medical supply transportation projects at local hospitals in Shijiazhuang, accumulating a total flight distance of 25,000 km.

Additionally, in Luancheng district, UAV inspection scenarios have been established in terms of environmental protection and urban management. Companies are also exploring the application of UAV in delivery logistics.

Furthermore, a low-altitude airspace operation management company has been founded in the industrial park to specifically cater to the enterprise's test flight approval processes. And the park plans to continue applying for flight regions with diverse scenarios, terrains and climate types in the future.