Low-altitude airspace in China typically refers to airspace below 1,000 meters (some definitions extend to 3,000 meters). This space has long operated on a military-priority basis with strict civil aviation restrictions. Low-altitude economy development requires fundamental reform — progressively opening to civil and commercial low-altitude flight while maintaining safety, forming an orderly, efficient low-altitude flight ecosystem.
## China’s Low-Altitude Airspace Management System
**Three-type airspace classification**: Controlled Airspace (urban core areas, airport environs, military exclusion zones — flights require advance filing with CAAC air traffic management, approval before execution; approval typically takes days to weeks); Monitored Airspace (general suburban, industrial areas — advance reporting required, typically via UTM system filing, simplified approval usually immediate to within hours); Reported Airspace (remote rural, mountain areas — pre-flight reporting sufficient, no approval needed).
**UTM System (drone cloud)**: the national drone flight control platform integrating pilot identity authentication, flight plan filing, real-time trajectory monitoring, and airspace conflict alerting. Major operators: CAAC-authorized drone cloud providers (currently a dozen or so), including DJI Mini-UTM, ZTO UTM, U-Cloud. All drones over 250 grams require real-name registration.
**Flight license system**: UAS Pilot License (CAAC) required for commercial flights (paid drone pilot services) or flight in controlled airspace; licenses divided into VLOS (visual line of sight) and BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) categories.
## 2025–2026 Policy Progress
MIIT and CAAC’s 2025 “Low-Altitude Flight Service Guarantee System Construction Guidance” accelerates building a nationwide low-altitude surveillance network (radar + ADS-B + BeiDou integration); certain cities (Shenzhen, Hefei, Suzhou) designated as low-altitude economy demonstration zones with simplified airspace application procedures; eVTOL commercial operations airworthiness standards are being refined.
See [Low-Altitude Economy Overview](https://sunqi.org/low-altitude-economy-overview-en/) and [China CAAC official site](http://www.caac.gov.cn/).
