Additionally, drone users will have to complete an online training program and pass a test about the drone laws prior to being able to fly any drone outdoors. Owners of drones being transported out of Beijing for repair must collect their drones in person from the repair facility rather than being shipped the repaired drone back to them.
These extensive restrictions were developed by the Chinese government and implemented as a result of the steady increase of problems with low-altitude airspace safety and were approved by state officials in March.
According to senior Beijing Municipal People's Congress official Xiong Jinghua, these regulations were intended as a means of providing better management of the safety issues associated with all low-altitude flights and creating the best balance between ensuring the public's safety and promoting the technological and economic development of the low-altitude economy of China. Very limited exceptions exist for the purchase and storage of drones for use in anti-terrorism or natural disaster situations if there is prior agency approval.
A Changing Strategic Industry
The timing of these new regulations could not be worse for the Chinese drone industry. Drones and air taxis are part of the low-altitude economy that the Chinese government has declared a strategic priority, and it is anticipated that the low-altitude economy will exceed 2 trillion renminbi (US $290 billion / £217 billion) in revenue by 2035. Drones are in common use through most of China's cities, including for food delivery, agricultural purposes, and building maintenance.
China has several drone manufacturers, led by DJI, the largest and most dominant manufacturer in the world. Although the vast majority of sales and purchases of drones in China occur through their Chinese manufacturers, China is quickly becoming one of the most restricted nations concerning drone operations.
Official government statistics estimated that there are over three million registered drones within China. As the implementation date of the new Beijing regulations nears, there are reports that DJI is removing the majority of drone-related merchandise from its retail stores in Beijing.
History of Increased Restrictions
The implementation of the new regulations in Beijing represents a continuation of the Chinese government's effort to regulate the use of drones throughout China. The entire airspace of Beijing has been designated as a no-fly zone for all drones, and any flights in the Beijing airspace require authorization from the appropriate air traffic control agency.
For the past few years, the Chinese government has grown increasingly stringent in regulating the operations of drones because of safety concerns associated with the public. As the new regulations take effect in Beijing, the commercial drone and air taxi sector will be profoundly impacted by a psychological toll due to the increased regulatory burdens placed on this industry and the uncertainty surrounding the manufacturers' ability to comply with this ever-increasingly tightening set of regulations.
