China’s drone industry has experienced rapid development, with a massive surge in the number of newly registered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the first half (H1) of 2024.
Nearly 608,000 UAVs were newly registered in H1, rising 48 percent from the figure registered at the end of 2023, Song Zhiyong, head of the Civil Aviation Administration, told a press conference Wednesday.
The cumulative flight time of UAVs reached nearly 9.82 million hours in H1, an increase of 134,000 hours over the same period last year, Song added.
“The data indicate that China’s low-altitude economy is entering a stage of rapid development,” Song said.
The administration will further optimize the technical standards in the UAV sector, and guide local authorities in improving infrastructure planning and construction for UAV usage, according to Song.
Efforts will also be made to enhance the communication, navigation and surveillance capabilities of the low-altitude UAVs, and establish safety operation rules and regulatory policies for different flight activities, he said.
https://english.news.cn/20240710/8f9c54cbaae443a69b36f0d64c3ec819/c.html