China revises aviation law to regulate drones, tighten safety rules
BEIJING, Dec 27 (Reuters) – China has adopted a revised law to officially regulate unmanned aerial vehicles for the first time in a bid to reshape the country’s fast-growing drone and low-altitude economy sectors, state media reported on Saturday.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress approved amendments under the Civil Aviation Law on December 27, adding a provision on airworthiness certification for drones, filling a key regulatory gap.
This revision comes as China’s low-altitude economy (a national strategic initiative focusing on commercial activities below 3,000 metres) is expected to grow from 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025 to more than 2 trillion yuan ($280 billion) by 2030, according to estimates by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
According to the new rules, which will be valid from July 1 next year, all organizations involved in the design, production, import, maintenance and operation of drones must obtain an airworthiness certificate.
Drone manufacturers will be required to assign a unique product identification code to each unit in accordance with relevant national regulations.
China has implemented “temporary regulations” for unmanned aerial vehicles, stipulating that “civilian unmanned aerial vehicles must be registered with real names” from 2024. The regulations also state that micro, light and small civil unmanned aerial vehicles do not require an airworthiness certificate, while medium and large aircraft must apply to CAAC for an airworthiness certificate.
The inspection has been delayed as China’s drone market expands rapidly. In recent years, many cities have reported flight delays resulting from illegal drone operations, leading to fines and other penalties.
The stricter requirements will affect manufacturers such as DJI, the world’s largest consumer drone maker, and EHang, which makes passenger drones.
Drone logistics has become a major driver of China’s low-altitude economy, with 2.7 million packages containing everything from hamburger meals to life-saving medicine delivered through 2024, according to transport ministry data.
E-commerce and food delivery leaders such as JD.com and Meituan have long talked about investing in drone logistics to improve supply chain efficiency.
JD Logistics has tested drone delivery networks in Jiangsu, Shaanxi and Sichuan and said “drones can reduce shipping times by up to 70% for rural customers.”
(Reporting by Sophie Yu, Casey HallEditing by Shri Navaratnam)
