Two new low-altitude tourist routes were launched on Friday in Anhui, eastern China, enhancing regional connectivity and offering travelers more diverse options.
The new routes connect Hefei, the capital of Anhui, to Wuhu and then from Wuhu to Huangshan, both cities within the province, providing tourists with unique aerial views of the province’s most iconic landmarks.
Passengers traveling from Hefei to Wuhu can board a small Cessna 208B aircraft that cruises at an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 meters, offering stunning views of sights like Luogang Central Park and the Wuhu Yangtze River Bridge along the way. With a capacity of up to six passengers, each flight provides an intimate sightseeing experience over Anhui’s picturesque landscapes.
These routes are part of a broader initiative to promote low-altitude tourism and economic development in Anhui, highlighted during the 2024 Low-Altitude Economic Development Conference held in Wuhu.
At the conference, a range of low-altitude economic products were showcased, and officials announced plans to establish 30 exemplary low-altitude application scenarios in the province by 2025.
Anhui has been at the forefront of China’s low-altitude economic growth. In 2023, China’s low-altitude economy exceeded 500 billion yuan (about $71 billion), growing at a rate of 33.8 percent. Projections indicate that the market could surpass 1 trillion yuan by 2026 and reach 2 trillion yuan by 2030. Capitalizing on this strategic opportunity, Anhui has leveraged its position as a national pilot province for airspace reform to drive progress in this sector.
Since 2013, efforts to develop the general aviation industry have fostered a robust low-altitude industry cluster in Anhui. By 2023, the province’s industry had grown to 45 billion yuan, representing 10 percent of the national market.
Over the past decade, Anhui has built a thriving low-altitude industry cluster with more than 300 companies, focusing on general aviation and drone technology. In Wuhu alone, nearly 200 companies are engaged across the entire value chain – from research and development to manufacturing, maintenance, operations, training and logistics – achieving complete self-sufficiency in key components.
Technological breakthroughs are often the result of a combination of various factors, and enterprises should be encouraged to continuously innovate, iterate and bring the best resources to the forefront of innovation, according to Wu Sa, deputy director of the Economic Research Institute at the Academy of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission.
“Many technologies need to be tested, refined and enhanced in real-world scenarios to improve the industry’s competitiveness,” said Wu. “Enterprises can drive industrial development by creating unique scenarios that offer comparative advantages.”
The low-altitude economy is gaining traction across various provinces in China, including Guangdong, Hubei, Nanjing and Shandong. For example, the AS700 airship, developed independently in China, completed a demonstration flight in August in Hubei, introducing a new approach to low-altitude tourism.
The highway maintenance departments in the province are also shifting from traditional manual inspections to intelligent drone systems for monitoring highways and bridges during the flood season. This method enhances efficiency and significantly reduces manpower, costs and maintenance expenses while providing more comprehensive and accurate real-time data.
“The development of a low-altitude economy in cities depends on two key factors: whether the local area has an existing industrial chain that supports this growth, and whether there is sufficient local talent,” said Pan Helin, a researcher at the International Business School of Zhejiang University.
“In places without such industries, they often have to purchase equipment and materials from other areas, making development more challenging,” he said. “The availability of skilled personnel is also crucial, as low-altitude aircraft, for example, require professional pilots.”