According to reports from China, the country’s bid to dominate the low altitude economy has taken significant steps forward, with successful trials of the biggest cargo drones yet in the past week.

The first trials were completed this past weekend in Zigong, in the southwest province of Sichuan, and involved an unmanned aerial vehicle with a payload capacity of a massive two tonnes.

Chinese national broadcaster CCTV reported that the twin-engine aircraft has a wingspan of 16.1 metres, stands at a height of 4.6 metres and its cargo space a cargo space is 12 cubic metres.

“It is the largest fully domestically developed unmanned cargo aircraft, tailored to meet China’s market demand,” the report from CCTV said.

“Additionally, the aircraft is designed for easy loading and unloading, and offers high reliability and safety with a high degree of intelligence.”

During the test runs, all systems were said to have “performed steadily”.

Reports from China further state that the aircraft was expected to support the expansion of air freight services and intelligent low-altitude logistics in China.

Low-altitude airspace is defined as the space up to 1,000 metres above ground.

The low-altitude sector encompasses a variety of activities and industries that involve civilian manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including passenger transport, cargo delivery, manufacturing, low-altitude flight operations, and integrated services.

Beijing has pinned high hopes on technology in this area to power economic growth and spearhead advanced manufacturing.

The drive towards boosting growth in this area also expands to the application of passenger drone technology, with drone company EHang being involved with a number of municipalities to deploy passenger drones in tourism.

To this end, the Chinese government has been pushing the development of drone technology to spur upgrades in logistics and transport infrastructure, a transition that would involve phasing out older vehicles like trucks, ships, and trains, and replacing them with modern models or alternative solutions, such as UAVs.

The administration said the country’s low-altitude economy exceeded $69.7billion last year and was projected to reach about $281billion.

Zhao Chongjiu, director general of the State Post Bureau, said last month that China’s capacity for air express delivery was growing, with players actively exploring use of UAVs and automated warehouses.

As of now, about 14,000 companies had been licenced to operate drones in China, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Drone operating licences have also been granted to 225,000 individuals.

China has tried its hands on large cargo unmanned aircraft in recent times; in June, the HH-100, a prototype commercial aerial freight drone, made its maiden flight. It has a payload capacity of 700kg and a flight range of 520km.

In 2022, a newly developed heavy-lift drone, created independently by China, successfully transported 300kg of building materials to a construction site in Yunnan province for electrical power infrastructure.

It was the first time that a drone transported construction materials in a high-altitude area of the country.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Chinese aviation logged a new milestone with a test flight of an unmanned civilian drone capable of carrying up to 3,2 metric tons of cargo, as drone makers trial larger and larger drones in anticipation of future domestic demand.

The unmanned SA750U developed by a drone maker based in southern Hunan province completed a 40-minute test flight on Thursday morning, the official Hunan Daily reported on Friday, adding the aircraft can operate as high as 7,300 metres and fly as far as 2,200kms.

Cargo drones promise shorter delivery times and lower transport costs, Chinese industry insiders say. They can also take off or land at sites that lack conventional aviation infrastructure, such as rooftop spaces in heavily built-up cities.