Nanjing Pioneers in Incorporating the Construction of Low-altitude Flight Service Support System into Local Normative Documents for Promotion
In the new race of low-altitude economy, the construction of low-altitude flight service security system has increasingly become a key factor to support its development and growth.
On December 3rd, Nanjing held a press conference, at which the city’s transportation bureau released and interpreted the “Nanjing Low-Altitude Flight Service Security Measures (Trial Implementation)”. To accelerate the construction of a convenient and efficient low-altitude flight service security system, and scientifically guide individuals and entities engaged in low-altitude flight activities to conduct safe, orderly, and efficient activities, the “Trial Measures” were issued on November 22nd, 2024, and will be implemented on January 1st, 2025 for a two-year trial period.
Nanjing is accelerating the construction of a convenient and efficient low-altitude flight service security system. All images in this article are sourced from the “Nanjing Delivery” WeChat official account.
The South China Morning Post (www.thepaper.cn) noted that the “Trial Measures” consist of 37 articles, which are divided into six chapters: General Provisions, Construction of Service Security System, Management of Flight Entities, Service Security for Flight Activities, Safety Supervision, and Supplementary Provisions.
Among them, the responsibilities of government, departments, and service institutions in the construction of flight service security system are highlighted in three dimensions, and it is clarified that the construction of service security system includes building a city-level low-altitude flight service platform, cultivating low-altitude flight scenarios, carrying out overall evaluation of low-altitude user needs, airspace planning, and the construction of physical infrastructure such as taking-off and landing points and information infrastructure such as communication, navigation and surveillance to establish safeguard measures such as a comprehensive application testing base with an emphasis on the functions of the Nanjing low-altitude flight service platform.
Meanwhile, the article also covers regulations on 11 aspects including flight entity responsibility, operating conditions, aircraft requirements, controller and pilot qualifications, control and driving norms, insurance responsibility, user data security, and prohibited activities. It highlights that flight entity management is the foundation for ensuring safe flights. For specific flight activities, it clarifies five aspects of service security content including the service content of low-altitude flight service institutions, the function of low-altitude flight service guides, airspace and route application services, emergency flight activity services, and aviation meteorological services with an emphasis on the service security content that the Nanjing low-altitude flight service institution can provide for the city’s low-altitude flight activities.
At the Nanjing Low-Altitude Economic Development Promotion Conference held on November 1st this year, the Nanjing Low-Altitude Flight Service Center was officially launched. According to Nanjing Transportation Bureau Director Zong Ren, the “Trial Measures” further clarify and refine the center’s functions. As the first officially licensed non-profit service institution in the province, the center will serve as a component of the national air traffic control system responsible for assessing the efficiency of low-altitude airspace usage, proposing suggestions for dynamic optimization and adjustment of low-altitude airspace, assisting users in handling relevant applications for low-altitude flight activities, collecting and summarizing low-altitude flight missions and plans, and publishing notice on airspace usage.
It is reported that Nanjing was the first city in China to incorporate the construction of a comprehensive one-stop low-altitude flight service security system into local normative documents for implementation and proposed seven major safeguard measures innovatively. Zong Ren stated that the “Trial Measures” focus on explaining the functions of the Nanjing Low-Altitude Flight Service Platform which will have functions such as flight plan management, operational dynamic monitoring, aviation intelligence publication, data management and meteorological services. Subsequently, the Nanjing Low-Altitude Flight Service Center will release a platform service guide to provide one-stop services such as flight activity plan applications, flight activity reports, identification services, in-flight monitoring and warning prompts for units and individuals engaged in low-altitude flight activities in the city.
At present, Nanjing has been approved to use 42 airspace areas covering a total of 1685.69 square kilometers. It has been approved for 118 routes with a total length of 1473 kilometers. The city already has 131 low-altitude takeoff and landing sites including five manned aircraft landing fields and 126 unmanned aerial vehicle takeoff points. It has also cultivated unique low-altitude scenarios such as test flights training government inspections maritime inspections seafood delivery cross-river logistics distribution and tourism observation.
Based on the establishment of the Nanjing Low-Altitude Flight Service Center Nanjing has completed the construction of its Low-Altitude Flight Service Platform version 1.0 to achieve two-way support. According to Nanjing Transportation Bureau Chief Engineer Li Qinghua Nanjing’s Low-Altitude Flight Service Platform (Version 1.0) is currently undergoing testing trial operations and is expected to be officially launched at the end of the month. Initially it can provide users with services such as low-altitude digital planning flight activity management flight plan management and geographic information. It will gradually open additional services such as low-altitude meteorological services situation monitoring and other functions in the future. It will also launch platform versions 2.0 and 3.0 to achieve a simultaneous service capability for no less than 50000 low-altitude flights providing comprehensive one-stop low-altitude flight services for low-altitude flight users.
Outside Nanjing Shanghai Suzhou Wuxi Hefei and other cities in the Yangtze River Delta have also accelerated the construction of low-altitude flight service security platforms.
On May 1st this year Hefei Low-Altitude Joint Flight Service Center was unveiled. The center was jointly established by International Advanced Technology Application Promotion Center (Hefei) in collaboration with units such as Anhui Branch of China Civil Aviation华东地区空中交通管理局 to leverage their respective advantages in conducting low-altitude consultation services airspace coordination services work mechanism construction standard system exploration etc. to create a single window for Hefei’s low-altitude services and accelerate the construction of a unified city-level low-altitude collaborative management platform that meets urban flight needs.
On June 11th Wuxi Low Altitude Industry Development Service Co Ltd signed a framework agreement for establishment and Wuxi’s first low altitude flight supervision service platform construction operation and maintenance cooperation alliance was formed. This platform can realize all dimension management such as “one network acceptance and one network transaction” for Wuxi’s low altitude airspace and aircraft activities promoting a comprehensive upgrade of low altitude application scenarios from “individual” to “group” to “urban stereo”.
In August this year Suzhou Low Altitude Flight Service Center (preparatory) was unveiled. According to official releases the center will effectively perform functions such as low altitude airspace collaborative management air traffic comprehensive services providing important support for Suzhou’s low altitude airspace use and flight activities.. On October 15th “Suzhou Low Altitude Flight Service Management Measures (Trial Implementation)” was issued to coordinate Suzhou’s low altitude flight service management work clarifying the division of responsibilities among various departments.. It proposes to rely on the city level low altitude flight service supervision platform and other low altitude flight public infrastructure to provide multiple supporting services for operators of low altitude flights and civil aircraft in key areas such as flights and emergencies.. On November 22nd “Shanghai Low Altitude Flight Service Management Capacity Construction Implementation Plan” was issued proposing a construction process following “demonstration first step by step implementation”. By the end of 2024 it will be the stage of construction preparation continuously promoting the construction of low altitude flight service centers and low altitude flight comprehensive supervision service platforms.. By the end of 2025 it will enter into a stage of construction trial operation with improved military civilian coordination city area linkage and integration of long triangle integrated low altitude flight organization management system.. By the end of 2027 it will comprehensively form Shanghai’s public route network architecture for low altitude flights with at least 400 planned low altitude routes designed cumulatively..
