China's Big Bet on the 'Low-Altitude Economy': What the New CAAC Task Force Means for Tech and Investors

Key Points

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has established a new General Aviation and Low-Altitude Economy Working Group to unify oversight of general aviation, drones, and urban air mobility.
This new group consolidates three previous bodies, aiming to streamline decision-making and create a single, clear strategy for China’s low-altitude economy.
Led by the principal leader of the CAAC, its mandate includes implementing high-level policy, formulating strategic plans, and resolving complex cross-departmental issues to accelerate innovation.
A key focus is establishing airworthiness certification standards for new aircraft like eVTOLs and commercial drones, which could significantly speed up time-to-market.
This move signals a powerful, government-backed push for clearer regulations, faster certification paths, and overall acceleration of China’s low-altitude economy.

China’s development of the low-altitude economy just received a massive boost, signaling a new era for general aviation, drones, and urban air mobility.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) (Minhangju 中国民航局) has officially established the General Aviation and Low-Altitude Economy Working Group.

This isn’t just some bureaucratic shuffle.

It’s a strategic move to create a unified ‘mission control’ for one of the world’s most dynamic and futuristic sectors.

Let’s break down what this means.

A New Powerhouse for China’s Skies: Why This Is a Game-Changer

Previously, oversight was split between different groups.

Now, the CAAC is merging three key leadership bodies into one streamlined entity:

The CAAC General Aviation Working Group
The Civil UAV Management Leadership Group
The CAAC Low-Altitude Economy Promotion Working Group

Think of it as taking three separate, siloed teams and combining them into a single, coordinated force.

This consolidation is designed to eliminate friction, speed up decision-making, and create a single, clear strategy for the future of flight in China.

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CAAC Working Group Consolidation
Previous Body	Focus Area
CAAC General Aviation Working Group	General Aviation
Civil UAV Management Leadership Group	Drones (UAVs)
CAAC Low-Altitude Economy Promotion Working Group	Low-Altitude Economy Promotion

New Working Group Structure and Support
Component	Details
Leadership	Principal leader of CAAC (Chair), Deputy Directors (Vice-chairs)
Support	Dedicated Office and Six Special Task Forces

The Mission: What Is the New Working Group Actually Doing?

The group’s mandate is powerful and direct.

It’s led by the principal leader of the CAAC, with deputy directors serving as vice-chairs, ensuring top-level authority.

Their primary responsibilities are clear:

Implement High-Level Policy: They are tasked with taking national-level decisions from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council and turning them into actionable, on-the-ground reality.

Formulate Strategic Plans: This group will write the playbook for the long-term development of general aviation and the entire low-altitude ecosystem, from personal aircraft to delivery drones.

Cut Through Red Tape: A key function is to resolve complex, cross-departmental, and inter-regional issues that can stall innovation and infrastructure build-out.

To get the job done, the working group is supported by a dedicated office and six special task forces, creating a robust structure for execution.

Key Responsibilities of the New Working Group
Responsibility	Description
Implement High-Level Policy	Translate national decisions into actionable plans.
Formulate Strategic Plans	Develop long-term blueprints for general aviation and the low-altitude ecosystem.
Resolve Cross-Departmental Issues	Address complex issues that hinder innovation and infrastructure.

The Playbook: A 7-Point Focus for Future Flight

The CAAC working group isn’t just talking strategy; they have a concrete checklist for building a safe, regulated, and highly innovative environment.

Here are the seven key areas they’re tackling head-on:

Developing Comprehensive Growth Plans
This is about creating the master blueprint for the entire sector’s expansion.

Establishing Airworthiness Certification Standards
This is a massive deal for manufacturers. It means creating a clear, standardized process for getting new aircraft—like eVTOLs and commercial drones—approved to fly. This could dramatically speed up time-to-market.

Enhancing Market Regulation
They are setting the rules of the game to ensure fair competition and prevent a “wild west” scenario, fostering stable growth.

Supervising Flight Operations
Keeping a close watch on who is flying what, where, and when to maintain world-class safety standards.

Improving Flight Service Support
You can’t have a sky full of new vehicles without the ground support. This involves building out the physical and digital infrastructure needed.

Building Flight Service Dispatch Platforms
Think air traffic control, but for the low-altitude economy. This is the critical tech backbone that will manage thousands of simultaneous flights safely.

Strengthening the Aviation Safety Regulatory System
Ultimately, it all comes down to safety. Bolstering the entire regulatory framework is essential for building public trust and ensuring long-term viability.

Seven Key Focus Areas of the CAAC Working Group

Developing Comprehensive Growth Plans: Creating master blueprints for sector expansion.
Establishing Airworthiness Certification Standards: Standardizing approval processes for new aircraft (eVTOLs, drones).
Enhancing Market Regulation: Setting rules for fair competition and stable growth.
Supervising Flight Operations: Monitoring flight activity to maintain safety standards.
Improving Flight Service Support: Building physical and digital infrastructure.
Building Flight Service Dispatch Platforms: Developing critical tech backbone for managing flights.
Strengthening the Aviation Safety Regulatory System: Bolstering overall safety framework.