The TD550 unmanned helicopter at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 22, 2024 Photo: Courtesy of United Aircraft Group

Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developer United Aircraft Group said on Thursday that it has won 100 industrial-level UAV orders at the ongoing Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, the UK, reflecting a rising competitive edge held by Chinese aviation companies. 

It is the first series of orders received by Chinese companies at the show.

The development reflects Chinese enterprises in the commercial aviation field are actively participating in global competition, seeking to forge new market opportunities, Tian Gangyin, founder and CEO of United Aircraft Group, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the manufacturer of the home-made large aircraft C919, brought 1:20 scale C919 and C929 aircraft models to the public at the air show.

COMAC said that it will also carry out special promotion activities to strengthen negotiations and exchanges with customers and partners.

United Aircraft has brought several flagship products at the show, such as the TD550 unmanned helicopter, with a load capacity of 200 kilograms and a maximum endurance of 8 hours, has become an optimal choice for emergency rescue and material transportation. 

The helicopter's performance is particularly outstanding in high-altitude and extreme conditions when carrying out firefighting and emergency supply delivery missions.

After more than a decade of development, United Aircraft has established a mature industrial chain system that covers research and development, production, assembly, and testing and verification. 

The development of UAV industry is in line with the Chinese government's policy agenda, which emphasizes the development of strategic emerging industries such as commercial aerospace and the low-altitude economy. 

The low-altitude economy was defined as a strategic emerging industry at the country's annual central economic work conference in 2023 and written into this year's government work report as a new growth engine.

The size of China's low-altitude economy by 2023 is estimated to surpass 500 billion yuan, with its scale expected to rise to 2 trillion yuan by 2030, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Global Times