Shanghai's Hongqiao International Opening-Up Hub unveiled three intercity low-altitude trial air routes spanning China's Yangtze River Delta region at a local seminar on Nov 6, a move which aims to boost the region's low-altitude economy.

These routes connect Hongqiao with three key cities: Suzhou in Jiangsu province, Jiaxing in Zhejiang province, and Wuhu in Anhui province. They serve a variety of purposes, including business travel, tourism, medical rescue, emergency firefighting, and social governance, with the goal of forming a closed-loop low-altitude economic ecosystem in the YRD region.

A three-year action plan of low-altitude economy development was also launched at the seminar, which is part of the 2024 CIIE Shanghai Events and Conference.

Additionally, the Hongqiao International Low-Altitude Economic Industrial Park was inaugurated on site to support the clustering and development of low-altitude enterprises.

Hongqiao is currently striving to build an innovation-driven hub for the low- altitude economy that embodies the concept of "new quality productive forces" for driving economic growth in the new era.

Wu Guanghui, chief designer of China's homemade C919 aircraft, pointed out at the seminar that a low-altitude economy is not only about technology innovation and industrial upgrading, but also a key driver for promoting regional economic integration and enhancing national competitiveness.