Hong Kong to develop low-altitude sector blueprint as firms eye overseas expansion

Hong Kong’s transport minister has outlined plans to develop a blueprint for the nascent low-altitude sector, with local industry players partnering mainland Chinese firms for their first joint overseas trip to explore belt and road markets.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Monday that the blueprint would cover cross-border electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) that ferry goods and passengers.

Speaking at the Second Low-Altitude Summit at the University of Hong Kong, Chan said Hong Kong was well positioned for growth in this sector given its established legal regime and status as a global financial centre, where mainland firms could raise funds.

“To develop a low-altitude economy at scale, we must devise a blueprint for the development of low-altitude airspace and infrastructure that ensures safety, efficiency and capability to support extensive operations,” Chan said.

According to her, the first pillar of the blueprint was the “regulatory sandbox X” initiative launched at the end of last year, which aimed at tackling challenging projects for the low-altitude economy, such as those involving transporting passengers.

The second pillar was to give the industry’s development a firm legal foundation, stressing that authorities would work hard on educating the newly formed legislature on different areas, such as technology, finance and economic development.