Hong Kong aims to launch passenger-carrying drones in 2 to 3 years
Dominic Chow, deputy director general of civil aviation, outlines road map at Beijing conference, says costs will be much lower than helicopter services
Hong Kong plans to deploy large passenger-carrying drones within the next two to three years as part of its drive to become a regional hub for the low-altitude economy, a senior official has said, predicting the aircraft will be significantly cheaper than current helicopter services.
Dominic Chow Wing-hang, deputy director general of civil aviation, outlined the road map on Saturday at a conference in Beijing, which focused on how Hong Kong and Macau could leverage their advantages to benefit the Belt and Road Initiative.
His remarks followed the launch of a sandbox pilot programme by a working group on developing the low-altitude economy in Hong Kong earlier this month.
A sandbox is a space where software or new technology can be tried out in a pilot scheme or test environment.
Following the 2024 policy address, the working group launched the “Regulatory Sandbox X” to test “unconventional aircraft” weighing more than 150kg (330lbs) and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs), with the goal of validating safety standards for future connectivity with mainland Chinese cities.
The sandbox aims to enable industry stakeholders to test and conduct trials on some project concepts within predefined air routes and in a controlled and safe manner, according to the Transport and Logistics Bureau’s website.