Published: 8:43pm, 24 Jan 2025Updated: 8:51pm, 24 Jan 2025
An alliance promoting the low-altitude economy in Hong Kong has called on the government to quickly approve projects for a regulatory sandbox and allow test flights to begin in the first quarter of this year to accelerate the sector’s development.
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The projects backed by the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance on Friday involved using drones to deliver medicine to remote areas, conduct building inspections and identify injured riders on coastal cycling paths.
The uses for the technology were included in 72 applications submitted to the government by the end of last year as part of a key initiative aimed at helping industry stakeholders test concepts relying on predefined air routes in a controlled environment. Results of the approval process are due to be announced in the first quarter of the year.
The alliance, composed of members from tech companies and universities, supported 21 of the proposals and urged the Transport and Logistics Bureau to expedite the approval process, leading to a list of scenarios the government hoped to prioritise for the low-altitude economy.
“We hope that some projects will enter the testing phase in the first quarter,” Elizabeth Quat Pei-fan, founding president of the alliance and lawmaker, said. “The projects vary significantly; some focus solely on flying from point A to point B, while others are more complex and require additional support due to the involvement of various interdepartmental regulations.
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“To promote a low-altitude economy in the long run, we need a top-level design and supporting measures, such as route planning and designated take-off and landing points.”
The alliance, led by the city’s largest political party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), was established in collaboration with the Smart City Consortium in September of last year.