China Wants Better Weather Forecasts for Drones, Flying Taxis

(Bloomberg) -- China has tapped its national meteorological bureau to develop a weather framework to support an expected wave of drones, flying taxis and other electric aircraft that may be zipping through its cities in coming years.

A policy document published this week by 10 government agencies including the China Meteorological Administration laid out a timeline for rolling out a suite of industry standards for the emerging low-altitude economy by 2027. It relates to airborne activities up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above ground.

The CMA has been tasked with drawing up regulations for dealing with hazardous weather conditions that can affect flights, including heavy precipitation and low visibility. It’s also expected to standardize the types of forecasts and warnings provided to drone operators, and the type of meteorological data low-altitude aircraft are to collect and share both before, during, and after flights.

A research arm of state-owned telecom giant China Mobile Ltd. is also involved in the weather effort, together with urban drone logistics firm Hangzhou Antwork Network Technology Co., according to the government.

China identified the low-altitude economy as a strategic emerging industry in 2023, and the Greater Bay Area — which includes the cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong — is viewed as an important testbed for the sector. In April, the Shenzhen weather bureau set up a center focused on providing specific weather forecasts for operators of aircraft including drones.

Weather services for low-altitude flight have not kept pace with the rapid development of the drone industry, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation. That’s leading to inconsistent and potentially inaccurate meteorological services, and “seriously restricts the full release of the industry’s potential,” the government agency said on its website.

The built-up environment of cities can produce volatile weather conditions that will likely affect drone flights, such as canyon effects caused by dense streets and soaring high-rises, sudden changes in wind direction and speed, along with extreme temperatures caused by urban heat islands.

Besides the weather, other areas in need of standardized rules include aircraft registration and management, system and information security, and low-altitude economy infrastructure such as navigation and telecommunication networks, according to the policy document.

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