Recently, a low-altitude cargo flight fully loaded with large cherries took off from Qingdao and arrived in Beijing, marking the smooth launch of testing for the first low-altitude logistics route in the northern region. More than 100 kilometers away along the Qingdao coastal area, a quadrotor drone is conducting all-round intelligent scanning along the Qingdao Zhanqiao Pier to monitor changes in visitor flow at the scenic area.

In recent years, Qingdao has incorporated general aviation into the city's top ten emerging industrial chains, planning ahead and advancing it as a priority. The development of the general aviation industry chain has achieved positive results: it was not only successfully selected into the first batch of national comprehensive demonstration zones for the general aviation industry, but also approved for the construction of a civil unmanned aircraft test base targeting comprehensive application of island scenarios. "In 2022, Qingdao issued implementation opinions to further increase support for the general aviation industry, providing support in eight areas including the development of the general aviation manufacturing industry, and promoting the development of the general aviation industry," introduced Bian Cheng, director of the Qingdao Development and Reform Commission.

In recent years, multiple low-altitude economy projects have settled in Qingdao, driving the development of the local general aviation manufacturing industry. In May 2023, the "made in China" Wanfeng Diamond DA50 aircraft manufactured by Wanfeng Aviation successfully completed its test flight at Qingdao Laixi General Aviation Airport; in August of the same year, the DA50 aircraft was approved for the province's first complete-aircraft production license, and its output value is expected to exceed 200 million yuan in 2024. The arrival of chain-leader enterprises has attracted a batch of general aviation industry projects, enabling Qingdao's general aviation industry to achieve a leap from small to large.

The manufacturing of low-altitude aircraft is one of the segmented tracks of the low-altitude economy. In recent years, Qingdao has continuously introduced and cultivated manufacturing enterprises related to helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and drones. Helicopter manufacturing, led by the Airbus H135 helicopter final assembly line, has gathered 5 key enterprises with an annual output value of about 300 million yuan. The drone manufacturing industry focuses on the research, development, and manufacturing of industrial-grade heavy-payload long-endurance drones and light aircraft engines, and has focused on introducing and cultivating drone manufacturing enterprises such as EHang Intelligent, Yuandu Intelligent, Ousen, and Ruizhi Flight Control, gathering 12 key enterprises with an annual output value of about 3 billion yuan.

Last August, Qingdao established the Qingdao Jiaodong Aviation Transportation Research Institute in Jiaozhou, actively applying to build the SCO Free Trade Airport, precisely attracting a batch of airport-oriented projects such as the Jiaolong General Aviation Headquarters Base and the domestic large aircraft industry chain and supply chain, and gathering a large number of high-quality enterprises such as CIMC Chuangying Composite Materials.

By strengthening scientific and technological innovation and expanding industrial innovation, Qingdao's low-altitude economy has achieved a head start in "flying." At present, Qingdao has built 4 runway general aviation airports including Pingdu Cihang and nearly 200 helicopter takeoff and landing points, forming a relatively complete general aviation industry system, and has seized the initiative in multiple fields such as low-altitude aircraft manufacturing, low-altitude operation services, and new low-altitude infrastructure.