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Lam Ka-sing

On a sunny afternoon in late November, hundreds of onlookers gathered beside a picturesque lake near Shanghai as a massive silver drone lifted off silently from the deck of a cutting-edge vessel, marking the dawn of a new chapter for the low-altitude economy in both mainland China and Hong Kong.
The demonstration at Dianshan Lake, which straddles the border between Shanghai and Suzhou, felt like a scene from a science fiction film as the “Sunship”, a mobile water-based vertiport, made its global debut.
A vertiport is a specialised platform for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Designed by AutoFlight, the Sunship aims to solve one of urban air mobility’s toughest challenges: finding places to take off and land in densely built-up cities.
The eVTOL aircraft that lifted off from the mobile floating platform was also developed by the Shanghai-based company, a leading manufacturer of electric aerial vehicles.
Powered entirely by electricity, AutoFlight’s aircraft can hover like a helicopter before transitioning to efficient, wing-borne flight like an aeroplane.
Unlike traditional drones, they are designed to carry heavy cargo or passengers, offering a quieter, greener and more cost-effective alternative to helicopters – all without relying on fossil fuels.
“In 10 years’ time and in Hong Kong alone, perhaps thousands of these eVTOLs will be flying,” AutoFlight senior vice-president Kellen Tse told the Post.

Lucrative market set to take off
Hong Kong is moving swiftly to develop its low-altitude economy, focusing on businesses that operate aerial vehicles below 1,000 metres.
In his New Year’s Eve address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu outlined his vision for the initiative, emphasising that the low-altitude economy was a key policy priority for 2026.
On December 1, Hong Kong authorities launched new pilot projects under a sandbox initiative to test drone operations in the city.
The “Regulatory Sandbox X” covers “unconventional aircraft” and, crucially, “cross-boundary routes”, underscoring Hong Kong’s commitment to integrating its airspace with the Greater Bay Area.
The initiative builds upon an earlier phase involving 38 projects across various sectors, including food delivery, logistics, public transport and urban management.
The economic potential is substantial.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China has estimated that the low-altitude economy on the mainland will be worth 3.5 trillion yuan (US$483 billion) by 2035.
At the recent Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference in Hong Kong, the World UAV Federation reported that the value of the mainland’s drone industry alone surged by nearly 40 per cent year on year to reach 210 billion yuan in 2024.
Its chairman and founder, Yang Jincai, added that Shenzhen – often dubbed the world’s drone capital – has already established 1,058 low-altitude take-off and landing sites, a benchmark that Hong Kong is striving to meet.
Think tank Our Hong Kong Foundation, meanwhile, predicted that the city’s low-altitude economy could generate HK$350 billion (US$45 billion) in added value by 2050.
Steven Lui, technical director of traffic and transport planning at infrastructure consultancy AECOM, said the low‑altitude economy had been designated a key strategic emerging industry by the central government, and that with Hong Kong’s active participation, “these ambitious targets appear attainable amid rapid sector expansion”.
The Transport and Logistics Bureau has likewise described the low-altitude economy as a “new engine for quality productivity growth”.
In a reply to the Post, the bureau said Hong Kong stood to “gain from new markets and more efficient service delivery in logistics, inspection and surveillance, public services as well as smart mobility”.
Dominic Chow Wing-hang, deputy director general of civil aviation, said in December that eVTOLs had lower operating costs than helicopters that offer similar levels of safety, thanks to more efficient energy use and simpler maintenance requirements.
He added that while the range of such aircraft was about 250km (155 miles), the next generation could reach 1,000km, allowing flights “beyond the Greater Bay Area”.
Regulatory harmonisation and public acceptance remain the final hurdles, but industry leaders see a clear path forward.
“I believe Hong Kong, alongside the Greater Bay Area, represents one of the world’s most lucrative and expansive markets,” Tse said.


Paving the way for eVTOL operations
The Sunship’s debut marks a pivotal advancement in eVTOL technology for the low-altitude economy.
AutoFlight, which is backed by CATL, the world’s biggest electric battery maker, is also planning to significantly expand in Hong Kong, potentially paving the way for its international headquarters in the city.
The company is positioning itself as a key player in Hong Kong’s emerging low-altitude sector and hopes to use the city as a launch pad for expanding overseas.
AutoFlight’s fleet includes the Prosperity passenger aircraft and the CarryAll cargo model, both fully electric.
Designed to carry a pilot and five passengers, Prosperity has a maximum take-off weight of 2,400kg and a commercial range of 200km (124.2 miles).
CarryAll is a fully electric, autonomous cargo eVTOL with a maximum take-off weight of 2,000kg (4,409lbs) and a payload capacity of 400kg. It can fly up to 200km on a single charge, making it suitable for logistics and emergency transport.
A firefighting version of the two-tonne CarryAll is capable of carrying four 100kg canisters, allowing it to suppress fires across an area of 800 square metres (8,610 sq ft).
“Currently, our design focuses more on extinguishing crown fires in mountainous areas,” Tse said, adding that “high-rise firefighting is our next research direction”.
Tse said AutoFlight was in talks with “two or three” Hong Kong companies about deploying its eVTOLs and water-based vertiports, adding that production of the platforms had already begun.
“It is easier for us to use water areas for this type of eVTOL platform … to move from here to there on Hong Kong’s water base,” Tse said.
The Sunship is more than a barge. It is a self-propelled vessel equipped with a professional bridge, passenger lounges and photovoltaic panels that recharge aircraft, creating what the company describes as a “zero-carbon loop”.
Jiang Dan, chief electricity and electronic technology officer of AutoFlight, described the concept as “rebuilding low-altitude infrastructure” by turning vessels into “elastic nodes” that can be deployed on demand, unlike traditional airports, which are expensive and take time to build.
Tse said the mobile water platform was well-suited to Hong Kong’s geography.
He said the city’s island-studded, mountainous landscape made it an ideal environment for eVTOL use, adding that while many areas were difficult to connect by road or bridge, they could be linked far more easily by these aircraft.

Logistics first and passengers next
While passenger flights tend to grab headlines, logistics is likely to lead the charge.
Mainland logistics giant SF Express has been testing drone operations in the city through its subsidiary, Phoenix Wings.
Liu Yawei, solutions manager at the Shenzhen-based SFMap Technology, which provides the essential geographical information systems and location-intelligence services to support these flights, told the Post that Phoenix Wings’ operations on the mainland had become routine, with drones flying regular daily routes.
Hong Kong, in contrast, remained in an “exploration” phase, though the potential for cross-boundary delivery was significant, he said.
“Ideally, we hope to develop some cargo transport scenarios between Shenzhen and Hong Kong,” Liu said, noting that much of the fresh food in Hong Kong was transported from across the border.
He estimated that a 100km journey, which might take an hour or more by truck because of traffic, could be completed in “tens of minutes” by drone, offering a speed advantage two to three times greater than road transport.
This capability is underpinned by sophisticated digital infrastructure.
SFMap’s Hong Kong regional general manager, Haven Zhang, said the company had a high-precision “truck map” database that accounted for vehicle height and weight restrictions, distinct from consumer navigation maps.
“All SF Express couriers use our mapping data,” Zhang said, adding that this foundation would be vital for future autonomous operations.
Infrastructure and the ‘Skyway’
To manage the expected influx of low‑altitude aerial traffic, Hong Kong will need both the digital and physical infrastructure to support it.
AECOM has proposed a “Skyway” network comprising 370km of local air corridors and 170km of cross-boundary routes linking Hong Kong with Shenzhen and Zhuhai.
Lui said infrastructure planning would need to be strategic to achieve efficiency while maintaining safety and environmental standards.
His team uses a grid analysis system to identify so-called “Cyan” and “Yellow” zones – areas deemed suitable for vertiports based on accessibility and residential density.
“We recommend combining flight path optimisation, low-noise eVTOL technologies and a minimum buffer from noise-sensitive areas such as residential neighbourhoods,” Lui said.
He added that while existing helipads, such as the one at Shun Tak Centre, could be used, the Northern Metropolis development near the border offered greater scope for purpose-built infrastructure.
“It provides opportunities to develop vertiports and supporting facilities while allowing integrated planning to address challenges such as environmental impact,” Lui said.
The government is also upgrading the digital spectrum to support such operations.
The bureau confirmed that in October last year, the Communications Authority assigned the 1.4 GHz band as dedicated spectrum for unmanned aircraft systems, giving operators an additional communications option beyond existing wireless local area and 4G or 5G mobile networks.
Overcoming the cross-boundary challenge
A key ambition for the sector is to achieve seamless cross-boundary travel and create a “one-hour living circle” across the bay area in line with Beijing’s vision for Hong Kong.
But this will require overcoming complex customs, immigration and quarantine procedures.
“The actual implementation time frame and mode of trials for cross-boundary applications depends on various factors, including agreement with relevant authorities on the mainland,” the bureau said.
Tse acknowledged the challenges but remained optimistic, citing the government’s proactive stance.
He said the most important support authorities could provide was greater flexibility and faster progress in opening up airspace and establishing flight routes.
AutoFlight has applied to join Sandbox X and is working with partners on routes linking Hong Kong with Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Guangzhou.
“We are planning to implement flights as early as next year,” he said.

A hub for capital and talent
Beyond low aerial flights, Hong Kong is positioning itself as a financing and intellectual hub for the emerging low-altitude industry.
The government has extended its Green and Sustainable Finance Grant Scheme to cover transition bonds and loans and encouraged aircraft leasing operators to establish a presence in the city.
AutoFlight views Hong Kong’s legal and financial systems as critical assets for its global expansion.
Tse said the city’s common law system and extensive experience in dealing with international customers gave it a strong competitive edge.
The company plans to expand its Hong Kong team to around 20 people, focusing on sales, marketing and government relations to support overseas growth.
Talent development is another pillar of the sector’s long-term strategy.
The bureau said that local institutions, including the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, were launching training programmes focused on low-altitude technology and related fields.
Professor Mao Zhaofang, the dean of the Management Innovation Institute at Tianjin University, said that a strategic, multi-decade approach was essential to develop the low-altitude economy.
“The low-altitude aircraft development is currently a strategically emerging industry and will transform into a pillar industry in the future,” he said.
“Therefore, we should approach industrial planning with the vision of ‘from the future to the future’ ... looking not just at the immediate three to five years, but also the long-term – 10, 20, or even 30 to 50 years.”
The path ahead grows clearer
With the latest sandbox phase under way, the pieces are falling into place, and the technology is ready.
AutoFlight aims to commercialise its Prosperity aircraft by the end of this year or early 2027, while infrastructure concepts are taking shape, from AECOM’s proposed skyways to AutoFlight’s water vertiports.
Tse’s timeline aligns with Hong Kong’s goal of deploying passenger eVTOLs within the next two to three years as part of its drive to become a regional hub for the low-altitude economy, with aircraft that are cheaper and greener than helicopters.


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The Drone Age: hi-tech wizardry propels Hong Kong towards lift-off

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

The Sunship aims to solve one of urban air mobility’s toughest challenges: finding places to take off and land in densely built-up cities. Photo: Handout

AutoFlight’s aircraft run on electric power. Photo: Handout

AutoFlight has developed a firefighting version of its two-tonne CarryAll eVTOL. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong leverages Greater Bay Area ties to help low-altitude economy take off

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan, centre, in attendance at Airspace Asia Pacific 2025, a global conference held in Hong Kong for the first time. Photo: Oscar Liu

Simon Hocquard, president and CEO of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, says Hong Kong’s dynamic aviation scene could make it a global model for the low‑altitude economy. Photo: Oscar Liu

Action plan to develop Hong Kong’s low-altitude economy to lift off next year

The action plan would be introduced next year to drive the development of the low-altitude economy. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong speaks at the summit. Photo: Handout

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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}As Hong Kong prepares to enter the era of flying taxis, key players roll out groundbreaking innovations at the cutting edge of technology

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