Recently, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has added an internal agency, the Low Altitude Safety Department, whose responsibilities include drafting low altitude civil aviation development plans, coordinating low altitude safety and development, constructing low altitude flight service dispatch platforms and low altitude flight service station systems.

This is the second low altitude concept management agency established by the state after the establishment of the Low altitude Economic Development Department by the National Development and Reform Commission in December 2024, which has an inseparable connection with the development of low altitude economy.

From the perspective of positioning attributes, the Low Altitude Department of the National Development and Reform Commission focuses on the formulation and implementation of low altitude economic development strategies and medium - to long-term development plans, while the Low Altitude Safety Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China focuses on low altitude aircraft airworthiness certification, flight scheduling, and flight safety supervision. Both play their respective roles, effectively supporting the emerging comprehensive economic form of low altitude economy. This also means that the low altitude economy will increasingly integrate into our daily lives.

Low altitude economy includes application scenarios such as general aviation, drone logistics, and agricultural and forestry operations. Industrial management involves specific aspects such as low altitude aircraft, low altitude infrastructure, low altitude air traffic management, and safety supervision. The core keywords of these specific contents are all safety. It can be said that developing low altitude economy is based on safety. Only by coordinating low altitude safety and development can we better promote the development of low altitude economy.

For example, using navigation aircraft to conduct interactive activities such as sightseeing and skydiving in low altitude areas is an important application scenario for the integration and development of cultural tourism and low altitude economy. At present, due to the booming low altitude economy, some places or enterprises have experienced disorderly development under the banner of low altitude economy. Previously, CCTV reported that many tourist attractions have launched low altitude aircraft sightseeing projects, which involve operating without qualifications, flying beyond the designated range, and using non compliant aircraft models.

The above situation may not only endanger the safety of people's lives, but also greatly weaken the positive significance of low altitude economy as an emerging industry in promoting economic and social development. Relevant professional departments need to actively intervene and guide the stable and healthy development of low altitude economy with the high standard of "knowledgeable pedestrians".

How to maintain the safety bottom line without allowing regulation to suppress industry vitality also tests the wisdom of professional counterparts.

Taking the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) as an example, which is considered the most capable aircraft for future low altitude logistics of unmanned aerial vehicles. The operation of this type of aircraft is a new track globally, with no precedent to follow, and the world's first unmanned aerial vehicle system model certificate was issued by China's civil aviation management department. In a sense, this indicates our ability to make the market safer.

On one hand, the National Development and Reform Commission is promoting the orderly expansion of the low altitude economy market, while on the other hand, the Civil Aviation Administration of China is protecting the low altitude economy market to make it safer. With the intervention of administrative functional departments with professional capabilities, the low altitude economy will no longer be a spontaneous "little horse crossing the river" in various regions at the beginning, but will have a systematic strategic planning at the national level. The low altitude economy currently in the blue ocean will fly further and more steadily in the future.