Shanghai AutoFlight has been selected for the inaugural round of Hong Kong's Regulatory Sandbox X programme, a government-backed initiative intended to accelerate development of the city's low-altitude economy.

Launched by Hong Kong's Transport and Logistics Bureau with support from the Civil Aviation Department, the programme provides a framework for compliant test flights, operational validation and technology development involving innovative unmanned aircraft. The initiative is intended to support the introduction of lower-carbon and more efficient air mobility services.

Two of the four approved projects will use AutoFlight's heavy-lift eVTOL aircraft, placing the company among the early participants helping to evaluate commercial applications for low-altitude aviation in Hong Kong.

The projects will be undertaken with partners including China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Automobile Services Limited and AECOM Limited. Work will focus on route planning, flight-parameter calibration and end-to-end operational validation to support wider deployment of low-altitude transport services.

“AutoFlight will use this opportunity to deepen its investment in core eVTOL technology and commercial deployment, supporting Hong Kong's emerging low-altitude transport network,” says Xie Jia, senior vice president of AutoFlight. “Working closely with the Civil Aviation Department and industry partners, the company aims to help scale up the Greater Bay Area's low-altitude economy safely and at commercial scale.”