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Editor-in-Chief | Yang Ming

Editor | Jing Xiangyuan

Source | Measuring the City

The low-altitude economy is booming. It frequently tops the search lists on major platforms, becomes a common topic of conversation, and is a new track that various regions are vying to seize.

Drones widely used for transporting medical supplies

(Source: Open Network Platform)

Since the end of last year, when the Central Economic Work Conference listed the "low-altitude economy" as a strategic emerging industry, at least 29 provinces and cities have included it in their government work reports, preparing to "seek GDP from the sky."

The Civil Aviation Administration of China has also responded actively, implementing relevant airspace management policies and revising more than 30 civil aviation regulations. Companies in related fields even jokingly say, "The policies are being issued too quickly; the statistics can't keep up, and there's no time to update the PPTs."

By the end of May this year, 13 local government-backed low-altitude industry investment funds have been established. For example, on June 14, Guangzhou Industrial Investment Holding Group and Guangzhou Development Zone Transportation Investment Group jointly established a low-altitude industry venture capital fund with a total scale of 10 billion yuan. In the first half of the year, the eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, also known as flying cars) sector has been particularly sought after by capital, with companies like Shanghai's Volant receiving three rounds of financing, all in the hundreds of millions of yuan.

eVTOL (flying cars) has become a hot area in the low-altitude economy

(Source: Open Network Platform)

Even before most people understand what the low-altitude economy is, it has already entered its "first year." This inevitably makes the public worry that the low-altitude economy, like previous booms in the metaverse and chip manufacturing, will come and go quickly.

Will the low-altitude economy be like that? Of course not!

Low-Altitude Economy: An Opportunity for Industrial Integration

As a national strategic emerging industry, the low-altitude economy is not only an opportunity for the aviation industry but also promotes cross-field integration and development among different industries.

The low-altitude economy promotes cross-field integration and development among industries

Low-Altitude Economy—A New Term for an Old Field

The low-altitude economy is closely linked to the development of general aviation (civil aviation activities other than public air transport).

The low-altitude economy specifically refers to the comprehensive economic form that involves manned or unmanned low-altitude flight activities within the low-altitude airspace below 1000 meters (extensible to 3000 meters) and drives the integrated development of related fields.

It is generally believed that the formation of this concept originated from the accelerated development of general aviation in China after 2000, especially the continuous exploration of opening up the "low-altitude airspace" below 3000 meters, including various application forms such as low-altitude tourism, transportation, patrol, plant protection, rescue, and sports.

In 2021, "low-altitude economy" was written into the "National Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Transportation Network Planning Outline" as an independent concept for the first time; in December 2023, the "National Airspace Basic Classification Method" was promulgated, providing policy support for the utilization of uncontrolled airspace (G-class below 300 meters, W-class below 120 meters), further promoting the development of the low-altitude economy.

In 2023, China's low-altitude economy exceeded 500 billion yuan and is expected to exceed 1 trillion yuan in 2026 and reach 2 trillion yuan by 2030. Morgan Stanley even predicts that by 2035, the global urban air mobility (UAM) market alone will exceed 1 trillion US dollars.

A wide variety of eVTOLs have become the focus of global urban air mobility development

(Source: Open Network Platform)

The transition from "general aviation" to "low-altitude economy" is inseparable from the rapid development of China's drone industry and the "far ahead" of some drones. However, you may still have questions: "I also have drones, and I know they can deliver food, but I haven't seen drones flying around in every city. How can the scale exceed 500 billion yuan and break the trillion-yuan mark in two years?"

Low-Altitude Economy—High-Speed Development with Low Perception

Both domestically and internationally, safety is the primary prerequisite for the development of the low-altitude economy. The development path of "suburban areas first, then cities; cargo first, then people; isolation first, then integration" proposed by the Civil Aviation Administration in the "Smart Civil Aviation Construction Roadmap" is based on this consideration.

Therefore, the large-scale application of drones (especially economic activities) is currently concentrated in suburban and rural areas far from cities, sparsely populated areas, and isolated airspace, which leads to relatively low public awareness of the low-altitude economy.

However, the development of the low-altitude economy in these areas has already taken shape. Taking the agricultural field as an example, in 2023, the area of agricultural insurance drone operations has exceeded 2.13 billion mu, covering 30% of China's cultivated land. Leading global agricultural drone companies such as DJI and XAG have promoted the standardized development of the industry by deeply participating in the formulation of international and domestic standards.

By the end of 2023, DJI agricultural insurance drones have accumulated more than 6 billion mu of global operational area

(Source: Open Network Platform)

In the field of industrial inspection, especially in power inspection, the inspection efficiency of drones is more than 20 times that of traditional manual methods. By the end of 2023, the State Grid Corporation of China has deployed more than 24,000 drones, inspected more than 4.18 million towers, and the drone operation coverage rate of 110 kV and above transmission lines has exceeded 90%.

Drones have been widely used in the field of industrial inspection

(Source: Open Network Platform)

The logistics sector has also witnessed the rise of the low-altitude economy. Since 2017, e-commerce and logistics companies such as JD.com, SF Express, Jingtong, and Suning have launched drone logistics projects.

Among them, SF Express has adopted a three-stage air transportation strategy of "mainline large manned transport aircraft, branch line large drones, and terminal small drones," effectively solving the logistics problems in remote rural areas and reducing transportation costs.

By the end of 2023, SF Express drone logistics has accumulated more than 4 million kilometers of flight distance nationwide and more than 800,000 transportation flights, becoming a leading enterprise in the commercialization of drone logistics.

Logistics Drones

(Source: Open Network Platform)

As the Civil Aviation Administration's proposed development path of "suburban areas first, then cities; cargo first, then people; isolation first, then integration" indicates, the current low-altitude economy has achieved results in the "suburban areas, cargo, and isolation" aspects. Next, how to promote the low-altitude economy to "enter cities, carry people, and achieve cross-field integration" will become a new direction for exploration.

Low-Altitude Economy - New Momentum at a New Turning Point

On February 27, 2024, the world's first eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) route was completed between Shenzhen and Zhuhai; on April 7, EHang's eVTOL (EH216-S model) obtained the world's first production license for unmanned passenger aircraft; on May 22, the Civil Aviation Administration of China released technical requirements for eVTOL landing sites…

eVTOLs, once shuttling through science fiction films, have suddenly entered the public eye, and the low-altitude economy has started the "manned urban transportation" phase.

EHang EH216-S flying car

(Source: Open Network Platform)

Globally, a commercialization arms race for eVTOLs has begun! After 2024, many countries will see the commercialization of eVTOL flights. Although large-scale application of eVTOLs may not be realized until after 2027, countries are still continuously "burning money." Is this just to compete for who occupies the market first?

Commercialization timeline of flying cars in major countries around the world

(Source: Open Network Platform)

It is important to know that eVTOLs are not oversized remote-controlled drones, but "flying electric cars." As He Xiaopeng said during this year's Two Sessions, "Flying cars integrate two major industrial systems: automobiles and aviation. Their product certification, operation management, and operational safety are completely new topics."

As we all know, China's new energy vehicles have an absolute competitive advantage internationally and have become a "thorn in the eye" for many countries, leading to numerous trade frictions and affecting industry development. However, the three electric components (battery, motor, and electric control) in new energy vehicles have an 80%-90% similarity to those in eVTOL manufacturing, providing new development ideas for new energy vehicle companies.

Domestic automakers such as Geely, GAC, and XPeng have invested in eVTOL companies and even established their own eVTOL companies (such as Geely's Volocopter and XPeng's HT Aero). At the same time, international automakers such as Toyota, Volkswagen, and Stellantis are also actively deploying in the eVTOL field.

XPeng AeroHT's XPeng X2

(Source: Open Network Platform)

In addition, the rapid development of China's aviation industry has laid the foundation for the design, technology, and manufacturing aspects of the eVTOL field and has cultivated a large number of talents.

For example, Shanghai, as an important gathering place for the eVTOL field, has the "eVTOL Five Dragons" (EHang, SkyDrive, AirBus, Volocopter, and other companies). Many of the founders of these companies participated in the research and development and manufacturing of the C919. Internationally, aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus are also important players in the eVTOL field.

Airbus's D-HCIA

(Source: Open Network Platform)

More importantly, the development of eVTOLs requires not only the support of the manufacturing industry but also the construction of "air highways" in urban areas and related service support systems. For example, eVTOLs require vertical takeoff and landing pads, 5G base stations for communication and data transmission, Beidou and low-orbit satellites for navigation and meteorological services, and data centers to process large amounts of data…

In other words, eVTOLs can accelerate the integration of aerospace industries, promote cross-border manufacturing, and drive upgrades in new infrastructure.

In short, the low-altitude economy, as a strategic emerging industry, is not unfounded and has a solid industrial foundation as its support. eVTOLs, as a trigger, will drive the integration and development of more industries. It can even be said that the low-altitude economy is another emerging industrial field with a long, deep, and large industrial chain, following real estate, the internet, and new energy vehicles.

Countries actively promote public understanding of eVTOLs

(Source: Open Network Platform)

So, for cities that do not have a first-mover advantage, can they simply follow the blueprint of the drone industry chain to attract investment and seize new industrial opportunities?

The answer is no.

Low-altitude economy: A lever for urban transformation

MEASURE THE WORLD

From the introduction above, it is not difficult to find that although the low-altitude economy is a blue ocean, its depth varies.

In 2020, the Civil Aviation Administration of China announced the first batch of 13 civil unmanned aerial vehicle test bases, which include major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai with absolute advantages in research and development and manufacturing, as well as small and medium-sized cities that have preemptively deployed the general aviation industry.

For example, Zigong, the "millennial salt capital," has been involved in the general aviation field since 2013 after signing a general aviation industry project in southern Sichuan with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, and has developed into a production, testing, and verification center for medium and large unmanned aerial vehicles in Southwest China.

Today, Zigong has the largest and highest unmanned aerial vehicle test flight airspace in Sichuan Province, "Chuanxie No. 5" (an area of 11,000 square kilometers and a height of less than 13,000 meters).

In May of this year, the "City Low-Altitude Economy Connectivity Index Report" jointly released by the Daily Economic News and Huoshi Chuangzao showed that 70% of the 30 cities included in the low-altitude economy connectivity index are concentrated in the Bohai Rim, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Chengdu-Chongqing regions, as well as cities with advantages in general aviation manufacturing and new energy vehicle manufacturing.

To make matters worse, these strong cities in the low-altitude economy are accelerating their competition for related resources.

For example, Shenzhen, the "drone capital," has achieved remarkable achievements in drone manufacturing and cargo transportation. However, in order to make up for its shortcomings in the eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) field, Shenzhen is willing to "spend money" to make up for its shortcomings—the highest reward for eVTOL companies settling in is 20 million yuan, a reward of 15 million yuan for passing the Civil Aviation Administration's airworthiness certification, and a reward of 1 million yuan for opening eVTOL commercial routes.

Meituan's drone delivery service in Shenzhen

(As of March this year, the total number of orders nationwide has exceeded 250,000).

In addition, the 20-minute cross-sea journey from Shenzhen to Zhuhai in February this year demonstrated Shenzhen's strong cross-departmental coordination, risk-taking resource mobilization capabilities, and execution. Today, three leading eVTOL companies, Lilium (Asia-Pacific headquarters) from Germany, EHang (R&D, delivery, and maintenance center) from Guangzhou, and EHang (solution center) from Shanghai, have settled in Shenzhen.

For many cities that do not have a first-mover advantage, instead of blindly pursuing the completion of the industrial chain, it may be more effective to dig deep into their own advantages and characteristics and become "specialized, refined, and new" in the long industrial chain of the low-altitude economy.

1. Leverage scenarios to enter the low-altitude economy

The development of eVTOLs is in its infancy. In addition to manufacturing, there is a lack of application scenarios. Considering urban flight safety, in the short term, the tourism sector, with its open routes and actual needs, will become the main application scenario for eVTOLs in cities.

For example, after obtaining the eVTOL production license, EHang received purchase orders from Xiyu Tourism (at least 120 vehicles in the next five years), Wuxi Municipal Government (100 intended purchase orders), Xishan Culture and Tourism (50 this year, and an additional 450 in the next two years), etc., mainly used for tourism sightseeing.

However, as more eVTOL products from various companies enter the market, eVTOLs will become standard equipment for local cultural and tourism, and their attractiveness to the public and their boost to urban low-altitude economies will gradually weaken.

Low-altitude tourism is the main application scenario for eVTOLs in the near term.

(Source: Open Network Platform)

In order to stand out in the low-altitude economy, some cities have begun to use aerial sightseeing as an entry point, combining their own characteristics and integrating them into the low-altitude industry.

Geography + Humanity, i.e., characteristic application scenarios.

In February this year, Zuquan County, Shanxi Province, collaborated with EHang to conduct a test flight of eVTOL low-altitude tourism, promoting the development of local red research and study tours. Zuquan County did not only stay at the level of low-altitude tourism, but also, relying on its geographical location in the Taihang Mountains, with its complex terrain and cold winters, became an area for EHang to test the winter performance of its products.

In April, Zuquan County, as a northern international sketching base (covering 3 townships and 18 administrative villages), cooperated with Fengyi Technology under Shunfeng to implement drone "air delivery" between various sketching stations. Within a 14-kilometer radius of the sketching stations, delivery can be achieved within 15 minutes.

At the same time, Fengyi drones completed test improvements on centimeter-level precision landing in complex terrain environments. Through its own characteristic scenarios, Zuquan County, a revolutionary old district, has entered the low-altitude economic field.

Sports + Low-altitude, i.e., low-altitude economic infrastructure.

The ancient city of Anyang has been developing aviation sports since the 20th century. In 2009, Anyang held the first International Paragliding World Cup warm-up event (now developed into the Anyang Aviation Sports Culture Tourism Festival). With continuous low-altitude sports events, Anyang has been given the title of "China's Aviation Sports Capital".

In 2022, based on the open airspace of low-altitude sports, Anyang cooperated with China Unicom to build the country's first 5G ubiquitous low-altitude flight test base. The 5G signal coverage height is 3000 meters, which can meet the needs of beyond-visual-range (exceeding remote control and radio communication distance) drone control, video transmission, and low-altitude target control.

Anyang has gathered nearly 60 low-altitude manufacturing enterprises. The Henan Provincial Key Laboratory—the Blue Sky Laboratory—was officially unveiled in Anyang in February this year (mainly focusing on key technology research in the field of drones and general aviation).

"Seizing the track" can also be achieved through city collaboration.

Cities achieve "seizing the track" through collaboration.

2. City collaboration, entering the low-altitude economy.

The low-altitude economy cannot be separated from the foundation laid by general aviation, and cities with general aviation airports are even more eager to try.

Currently, China has built 453 general aviation airports, but the efficiency of most airports is low, and some general aviation airports even have the problem of being asked for branch subsidies by airlines. As an aviation power, the United States has more than 5,000 general aviation airports, many of which also have problems with low efficiency and insufficient operating funds, especially in small cities.

Schematic diagram of the distribution of general aviation airports in the United States

(Source: FAA)

In the early 21st century, the United States had very strict regulations on drones, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) once banned the use of drones for commercial purposes. In 2014, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 officially came into effect in the United States, and drone airworthiness entered a relaxed period, which gave a number of general aviation airports the opportunity to develop "new businesses". However, when everyone thinks this way and has the same aviation infrastructure, it depends on who can come up with "unique strategies".

Shout out and implement.

The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 planned 6 official unmanned aircraft system test sites (UAS), and in 2016, this number became 7.

The 7th test site was created through the joint efforts of two small cities—the New York Unmanned Aircraft System Test Site (NYUASTS). This test site is located between the general aviation airports of Syracuse and Rome in central-northern New York State, with a total length of 80 kilometers (an area of approximately 630 square kilometers).

Schematic diagram of the distribution of 7 official unmanned aircraft system test sites in the United States

(Source: FAA)

Initially, the two small cities were just one of many competitors, but neither their location nor their geographical features, landforms, or resources were unique or prominent. Therefore, the two cities decided to join forces and launched the slogan of creating "America's first inter-city drone test corridor".

Regarding the beyond-visual-range problem in long-distance drone flights, the two cities proposed the Local BVLOS concept, which solves a series of beyond-visual-range problems through localized communication network infrastructure and open scenarios. Although the slogan and concept were put forward, the two cities did not have enough funds to implement them.

Local BVLOS concept

(Source: NY UAS Test Site)

In order to "speed up the progress," the two cities first opened the use of the general aviation airport's control tower and the air radar between the two cities to drone companies, and the urban area, suburbs, highways, bridges, rivers and lakes, farmland... the entire low-altitude area was opened. Drones weighing no more than 136 kilograms can conduct inspections, cargo transportation, fire fighting, rescue, and agricultural insurance tests.

The operation of the test area is managed by the non-profit organization NUAIR, which cooperates with the drone accelerator GENIUS NY to hold drone innovation competitions in the region, attracting a large number of drone companies to come here.

With the successful operation of the test site, New York State invested US$35 million in the construction of drone communication facilities, including radar specifically for small aircraft. In 2022, the test site cooperated with the communication company Aveop to start building a 5G network, which, together with low-orbit satellites, constitutes a low-latency, high-stability communication network. Its communication facilities are far superior to the other six test sites.

Test scenario for firefighting drones in the test site

(Source: FAA)

Continue to shout out, continue to cooperate.

Although drone testing seems glamorous, it does not bring much fiscal revenue and employment opportunities to the city, nor does it allow the two cities to deeply integrate into the low-altitude economy.

With the arrival of the global eVTOL boom and the countdown to the commercialization of eVTOLs in the United States, opportunities have come again. NUAIR, in collaboration with the Quebec region of Canada, has launched a new slogan to create the "first international advanced air mobility (AAM) corridor".

The New York State UAS test site addresses the lack of urban experimental and application scenarios for eVTOLs by utilizing idle hangars to transform a 75,000-square-meter SkyDome verification and testing center. By simulating various urban environments and applying IoT technology, it accelerates the development and design of aircraft.

SkyDome verification and testing center, converted from a hangar

(Source: NY UAS Test Site)

In addition, the test site has collaborated with the Air Force, the Griffith Institute, and the State University of New York to build the Innovare Advancement Center laboratory, focusing on research in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, greatly enhancing the innovation of drones.

The New York State UAS test site has developed into a low-altitude industrial cluster integrating the research, development, and testing of commercial drones.

Drone control center established by the test site

(Source: NY UAS Test Site)

Although eVTOL development is still in its infancy, as urban development researchers, we are more concerned about whether the current operating system can cope once the city achieves "flying" everywhere. Or, is the city's two-dimensional management system suitable for the operation of the "flying" three-dimensional era?

Many cities in the United States have begun to consider the challenges they will face and hope to prepare in advance through a "build first, then break" strategy.

Low-altitude economy: America's "build first, then break" approach

MEASURE THE WORLD

As the country that first proposed the development of drones, the United States now seems to have fallen behind. In the global consumer drone and agricultural insurance drone fields, Chinese drones dominate. Will this still be the case in the era of flying cars?

At the beginning of the year, renowned eVTOL expert Mark Moore ranked 14 representative eVTOL companies globally in the aviation media "Aviation Week"—the first tier includes Joby and Archer from the United States, while Wisk (Boeing), Vahana (Airbus), China's EHang, and other companies are in the second tier. Surprisingly, EHang, which received the world's first aircraft production license, and Volocopter, which received a German government production license, are at the bottom.

Mark Moore's ranking of 14 representative eVTOL companies globally

(Source: Open Network Platform)

We will not discuss the objectivity of this ranking, but we can observe some trends—the top-ranked companies generally adopt tiltrotor and hybrid wing flight methods. These aircraft can fly faster and farther (200-250 kilometers) and carry more people (4-6 people). Those at the bottom of the ranking mostly use lighter aircraft with lifting-rotor flight methods (2-3 people, range 20-50 kilometers).

Joby Aviation S4 tiltrotor aircraft

(Source: Open Network Platform)

This preference for tiltrotor and hybrid wing flight reflects America's obsession with the development of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and its entanglement with helicopter "taxis".

1. Helicopters: A bottleneck for urban air transportation

Urban air transportation is not a new concept. After the concept of flying cars was proposed in the early 20th century, many American inventors began tinkering with various flying cars, hoping to become the next Ford of the air.

In the 1950s, urban air transportation gradually took shape, with helicopters becoming the main carrier. In 1967, the number of helicopter operations in New York even reached 1.2 million. By the 1980s, manned and cargo helicopters had become standard equipment in most cities.

Convair Model 118 flying car, 1947

(Source: Open Network Platform)

In the 1990s, tiltrotor helicopters, which combine the characteristics of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, were favored by the US government. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a vertical takeoff and landing notice, encouraging the use of tiltrotor helicopters in general aviation. Many cities began to build integrated helicopter airports to support the operation of this new type of aircraft.

Bell XV-15 tiltrotor helicopter

(Source: Open Network Platform)

Currently, there are over 5,425 helicopter airports in the United States, but their utilization rate is extremely low, with many cities below 10%. The main reasons for this phenomenon, besides the high operating costs of helicopters, include the significant noise pollution caused by helicopter takeoffs and landings, leading to disturbances and property devaluation around landing sites.

Helicopter airport built in Chicago

(Source: Urban Movement Labs)

2. eVTOL: Rethinking urban air transportation

With the advent of more efficient, lower-cost, and quieter eVTOLs (currently only 1/4 decibel of light helicopters), urban air transportation has found a direction to replace helicopters and develop a new economy.

Currently, 46 cities in the United States have launched a new round of urban air transportation development plans. For example, Los Angeles has jointly launched the "Integrated Advanced Air Transportation: Urban Introduction" report with its transportation and planning departments, airlines, eVTOL companies, and research institutions, providing a reference for more cities to develop air transportation.

The emergence of eVTOL,

has allowed urban air transportation to find a direction for developing a new economy

Overall, these cities are mainly considering the future development of urban air transportation from three aspects.

Consideration 1: Helicopter network as a foundation

Cities unanimously believe that in the initial stages of eVTOL commercialization, due to the relatively low flight frequency, cities do not need to make large-scale infrastructure investments. Existing aviation infrastructure, especially the numerous helicopter airports and helipads, can already meet the takeoff and landing needs of eVTOLs.

In addition, the mature helicopter routes within the city can be regarded as ready-made "air highways." By reasonably dividing the flight altitudes of existing routes, it is possible to achieve the goal of accommodating multiple routes on one route, thereby reducing the risks and approval costs of opening new routes.

FAA's layered driving scheme for "air highways"

(Source: FAA)

Some cities have already planned the first batch of eVTOL routes based on existing helicopter routes, such as Chicago's city center to O'Hare Airport (32 kilometers), Miami International Airport to the Miami Beach Convention Center (16 kilometers), and Manhattan to Newark Airport (24 kilometers).

Consideration 2: Air-ground integrated transportation in the VOD model

As eVTOL commercialization accelerates, flight frequency will increase significantly, and eVTOLs will gradually become more popular (the FAA predicts that over 11.65 million passengers will use eVTOLs in the United States by 2030). However, existing helicopter facilities are not designed for high-frequency use, nor are they designed to address the "first mile" and "last mile" needs of mass transit. What does this mean?

Existing helipads are mostly located on top of office buildings or public buildings like hospitals. For everyday public travel, people would first need to take ground transportation, then ride a shared bicycle, and then compete with office workers, patients, and doctors for elevator access before they can board an eVTOL. This would be a nightmare for the commercialization of eVTOLs.

Therefore, based on the TOD model (Transit-Oriented Development), the American Planning Association proposed the VOD model (Vertical Port-Oriented Development), which involves developing and upgrading integrated air-ground transportation hubs.

Three scales of eVTOL infrastructure envisioned by McKinsey

(Source: American Planning Association)

Similar to TOD, within a 400-800-meter radius of a VOD, it will integrate urban functions such as vertical airports, public transportation, offices, retail, and residential areas, solving the "first mile" and "last mile" problems of public transportation. In addition, the added value brought by VOD will improve the acceptance of eVTOLs among residents in the area.

Comprehensive Advanced Air Mobility: A City Primer emphasizes the need for community participation in VOD.

(Source: Open Network Platform)

Unlike TOD, the VOD model is also an energy hub. It needs to provide charging services not only for aircraft but also for autonomous taxis and public transportation. Therefore, the VOD model needs to have intelligent charging, energy production, and energy storage functions, which will be a major challenge for urban power grid planning.

Internationally, London Waterloo Station has completed the conceptual design of VOD. Based on London's existing helicopter routes (along the Thames River) and Waterloo Station's public transportation, the design integrates a rooftop vertical airport (dual takeoff and landing areas, 10 helipads, with automatic shuttle buses) with rail transit to achieve seamless integration of air and ground passenger commuting.

Conceptual design of VOD at London Waterloo Station

(Source: American Planning Association)

Thought 3: Exploring the Division of Management and Operation

The US Air Traffic Control System (ATC) manages nearly 50,000 flights daily. Faced with the massive future management tasks of eVTOL flights, it is clearly impossible to rely solely on the ATC to handle all the work, and it is even more impossible for it to change the mature civil aviation management system.

Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released the white paper "Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Concept of Operations 2.0," which outlines the future direction of urban air traffic management—emphasizing deep market participation. The FAA will mainly act as a macro-control entity and rule-maker for air traffic corridors, while specific management and operational work will be handled by air traffic service providers and air traffic operators.

These operators include not only local governments but also a variety of entities such as eVTOL manufacturers, VOD contractors, and data management companies.

FAA Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Concept of Operations 2.0

(Source: FAA)

NASA, through its Small Business Innovation Research program,

developed the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) data platform (NASA)

(Source: Open Network Platform)

At the city level, the focus is mainly on the division of responsibilities for air traffic management among national, state, county, and city levels.

Taking airspace management and infrastructure from Comprehensive Advanced Air Mobility: A City Primer as an example—the FAA is responsible for the planning and management of air traffic corridors (especially interstate ones); state governments are responsible for the overall management of general aviation (low-altitude) within their jurisdictions and have the largest management responsibilities; city-level governments are mainly responsible for airspace management around takeoff and landing points and local policy-making.

This division of responsibilities helps ensure that all levels of government effectively fulfill their responsibilities within their respective jurisdictions, improving management efficiency.

Proportion of Airspace Management Responsibilities in Comprehensive Advanced Air Mobility: A City Primer

(Source: Urban Movement Labs)

In terms of infrastructure management, the FAA is mainly responsible for investment and inspection of public general aviation airports; state governments are responsible for the overall planning and approval of new vertical airports; local governments are responsible for land planning, functional zoning, and operational management related to takeoff and landing areas, and have the largest responsibilities.

From a timeline perspective, the next 5 years will be a critical period for the development of the US air traffic sector. With Archer and other eVTOL manufacturers starting to receive final airworthiness certifications and operator certificates in May of this year, a series of "establishing first, then breaking" explorations will help the US establish a preliminary standardized urban air traffic management system, laying the foundation for the explosive growth of the eVTOL market.

Seven Principles of Urban Air Mobility Management

(Source: Urban Movement Labs)

It is undeniable that the low-altitude economy is still in its infancy globally, and many cities see it as an opportunity to "overtake on a curve." However, in the development process, we must not rush into it blindly.

Cities with a first-mover advantage should not be satisfied with only staying in the "manufacturing" stage. They should also actively think about and explore how to "build good roads," becoming rule-makers for the low-altitude economy and leaders with international influence.

For latecomer cities, it is necessary to find their own comparative advantages in the broad industrial chain of the low-altitude economy, rather than blindly pursuing comprehensive development, in order to achieve a turnaround in fierce competition.

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