Chinese drone prepped for mass production as demand for aerial deliveries soars

A Chinese company is preparing to fill 1 billion yuan in orders for its new drone as the ‘low-altitude economy’ gains momentum

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Chinese companies have been developing a wide variety of drone designs to seize on what has been termed the “low-altitude economy”. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 5:00pm, 30 Nov 2024

A Chinese drone maker is preparing to mass produce a small, speedy six-tonne aircraft ideal for the “low-altitude economy”, whose value is expected to soar by 2030 with increases in aerial taxi trips and merchandise deliveries.

Shenzhen-based United Aircraft said on November 13 it had signed 1 billion yuan (US$138 million) in orders for its Lanying R6000 aircraft.

The aircraft’s tilt-rotors are designed for vertical, helicopter-style take-offs and landings in spaces as small as a rooftop, the company said. The R6000, boasting a chassis similar in shape to a small plane, will be able to fly as fast as 550km per hour (342 miles per hour) for distances up to 4,000km (2,485 miles).

Mass production will start early next year in the southwestern city of Chengdu, Hongxing News reported on Thursday. The local outlet said the billion yuan in agreed deals spans 10 buyers from multiple countries.

United Aircraft debuted the R6000 at a mid-November event, calling the unveiling an “important moment for China to showcase its technological innovation to the world”, the company website said. China historically sourced aircraft and parts from overseas with partners like Russia and the United States.

China aims to develop what it terms its “low-altitude economy”, which covers manned and unmanned activities operating up to 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) above the ground. It has currently valued this sector at 500 billion yuan.

Though the low-altitude economy is short on infrastructure – with an estimated need for around 1 million additional skilled workers – it could reach 2 trillion yuan in value by 2030, state news agency Xinhua reported in July. The Civil Aviation Administration of China said then that 1.27 million drones had been registered in the country by the end of last year, up 32.2 per cent over 2022.