NOW TV News Interviews Hong Kong Low-altitude Economy Regulation Takes Effect, Shaping Global Standards
- XSOCIAL
- May 28
- 3 min read
On May 27, 2025, Hong Kong took a significant step forward in the development of its low-altitude economy. By gazetting the increase of Class C drones' weight limit to 150 kg, and clarifying insurance requirements, flight operation permits and other standards, Hong Kong has officially set off on the path of building a standardized system for the low-altitude economy. This has laid a solid foundation for the innovative development of the entire industry.
Samuel Lam Hon Yuen, CEO of X Social Group, said that the regulatory sandbox Low-altitude Economy Index project focuses on formulating flight safety standards for drones. By comprehensively considering climate, geographical factors and drone specifications, and using a rigorous risk assessment model, it ensures the safety and reliability of low-altitude economic activities in an all-round way. The project also expects to work closely with Hong Kong Observatory. With its professional expertise in meteorological data such as wind speed, wind direction, rainfall and cloud thickness, Hong Kong Observatory can provide precise support for drone flight safety and insurance standards formulation. These measures not only inject strong momentum into the stable development of Hong Kong's low-altitude economy, but also offer a reference model for global low-altitude economy regulation.
From the perspective of low-altitude economy development, building a comprehensive standardized system is the key to promoting industrial upgrading. The construction of the Low-altitude Economy Index involves many complex factors, such as climate, flight routes, altitude, airspace, weight, aircraft certification and pilot certification. Take drone performances as an example. With a safety factor requirement as high as 99.999%, it is evident how strict the safety standards are. Hong Kong's gazetting of the increase in Class C drone weight and the improvement of related insurance indicators and certification requirements have shown great application potential in many fields, such as large-scale logistics distribution (such as cross-island medical supplies transportation), aerial inspection, emergency rescue and power inspection. This will effectively attract more professional forces such as drone R&D engineers, operation management talents and data analysis experts to the low-altitude economy field, providing continuous intellectual support for industry development. The relaxation of weight restrictions will attract more models to participate in operations, accumulate more application scenarios, flight data and pilot experience, and help Hong Kong establish world-class low-altitude airspace management standards. As a result, Hong Kong can occupy a favorable position in the global low-altitude economy competition.
Samuel Lam emphasized that in terms of the broad prospects of the low-altitude economy, Shenzhen is expected to open 1,000 drone flight routes by 2026. The low-altitude economy in mainland China is likely to reach a trillion scale by 2026, covering the upstream and downstream industries of production, retail, finance and insurance. Hong Kong should fully learn from the advanced experience of the mainland, strengthen cooperation with cities in the Greater Bay Area, and jointly create an internationally leading low-altitude economy demonstration zone. Through legislation amendments and pilot projects, Hong Kong can gradually build a low-altitude economy ecosystem. The key lies in balancing safety regulation and innovative applications. In the future, it is necessary to continuously improve regulations, strengthen cross-border cooperation, and empower the industry with technologies such as AI + drone urban management systems. This will achieve industrial upgrading and promote the steady development of the low-altitude economy. In turn, this will inject new vitality into Hong Kong's economic diversification and sustainable development, ushering in a golden age for the low-altitude economy.
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