The future of transportation is soaring to new heights.
Autonomous passenger drones are officially cleared for takeoff in China, and the low altitude economy is taking flight.
Coming to you live from Beijing, this is Ram Table.
I'm Ha Young.
For today's program, I'm joined by Steve Hatherly and Yushun in the studio, first on a day's show.
Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, are small flying devices controlled from the ground,
often used for tasks such as aerial photography, goods delivery, and more.
Now, with the first-ever operation certificates issued for autonomous passenger drones,
China has officially entered the era of urban air mobility, and the future may arrive faster than we imagined.
Picture a drone soaring above city streets, carrying people through the sky.
City walks might be the go-to low-budget way to soak in the sights on foot,
but in the near future, how about a city fly for a whole new view from above?
So fasten your seatbelts as we explore the soaring low-altitude economy and the thrilling future of passenger drones.
It's perhaps no surprise that drone takeoffs require a slew of safety approvals.
So what's new about the certificate issued this time?
Yes, so on March the 28th, two Chinese companies have obtained these certificates,
the OC or the Operation Certificate for Autonomous Passenger Drones from the Civil Aviation Administration of China,
or CAAC, making that China has entered the commercial operation stage of autonomous passenger drones.
And these two certificates, the first batch of such operation certificates issued in China,
were granted to Chinese drone makers Yi Han Holdings Limited in South China's Guangdong province and also He Fei Hei Airlines Corporation Limited in East China's Anhui province.