Among only three in the country, one will be based in Yuecheng, Shaoxing. On the opening day of the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Yuecheng District officially signed a contract with China Kanghui Tourism Group Co., Ltd. to introduce the first batch of “Xiangyun” AS700 manned airships in China, marking a new milestone in the development of Yuecheng’s low-altitude economy.
The “Xiangyun” AS700 airship, which made its debut at the exhibition in Zhuhai, is the first manned airship independently developed by China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) with full intellectual property rights in compliance with airworthiness regulations. It is renowned for its eco-friendly, low-carbon, safe, economic, and comfortable features. Capable of short-distance flights and vertical takeoff and landing, the airship will be mainly used for tourism, emergency rescue, and cargo transport. Shaped like a white cloud with smooth, elegant lines, the airship has a maximum range of 700 kilometers and can fly for up to 10 hours. Departing from Yuecheng, it can cover all 41 prefecture-level cities in the Yangtze River Delta. After delivery, the airship will mainly serve low-altitude tourism, flying at speeds of up to 100 km/h and reaching altitudes of up to 3,100 meters, carrying up to 10 passengers. The side windows of the cabin are exceptionally large, allowing passengers to enjoy an immersive aerial view of the stunning landscapes below, offering a completely new “cloud sightseeing” experience.
“The flight conditions in Yuecheng are ideal, and the market potential is enormous. From the beginning, the local government has been determined and dedicated to the development of the low-altitude economy. District leaders have frequently led teams to engage with relevant parties, creating a strong atmosphere for the development of low-altitude industries,” said a representative from the AS700 project. After the signing of the airship project, it will further expand the “Low-altitude + Cultural Tourism” applications in the region, promoting integrated development of both unmanned and manned aviation technologies.
The airship will make its first appearance at the first China (Shaoxing) Low-altitude Economic Exhibition on the 23rd of this month, offering a three-day immersive experience for citizens and visitors. In the future, regular low-altitude tourism experiences will be introduced under the “Flying in the Clouds” program. According to the research and development team, low-altitude sightseeing will be a key pilot scenario. Through trial operations with pioneering users, the commercial operation of manned airships will be refined. The airship will also be applied in diverse sectors, including aerial advertising, urban security, aviation exploration, and emergency rescue, further expanding the low-altitude economy and creating new business models in this emerging sector.
“We will take this airship project as an opportunity to focus on production and manufacturing, accelerating the establishment of upstream and downstream enterprises and related industries for airship projects. This will help form a complete low-altitude economy industry chain, propelling Yuecheng to become the ‘leading city in the province and a national leader’ in low-altitude economic development. We are committed to continuing to enhance Shaoxing’s ‘Low-altitude Economy’ brand,” said a relevant Yuecheng district official.
全国仅3台，绍兴越城就有1台。昨日，第十五届中国国际航空航天博览会在珠海隆重开幕。现场，越城区与中国康辉旅游集团有限公司正式签约，落地引进全国首批、全省唯一“祥云”AS700载人飞艇（被称为“空中白鲸”），标志着越城低空经济发展再上新台阶。
据了解，首次“艇”进珠海的“祥云”AS700飞艇是中国航空工业集团首个按照适航规章自主研制、具有完全自主知识产权的载人飞艇，具有绿色低碳、安全经济、舒适靓丽等特点，能短距离飞行和垂直起降，主要用于旅游观光、应急救援和货物运输等领域。飞艇形似洁白云朵，外形圆润、线条优美流畅，最大航程700千米，最大航时10小时，从越城起飞可实现长三角41个地级市飞行全覆盖。该艇交付后主要应用于低空观光旅游领域，最高设计飞行速度100千米/小时，最大飞行高度3100米，最多一次可搭载10人。艇舱两侧设置超大观景侧窗，游客从空中俯瞰，可将舱外美景尽收眼底，“解锁”云端观光的全新体验。
“越城飞行条件优越，市场前景广阔，当地政府从一开始就对发展低空经济态度坚决、孜孜不倦，区领导多次带队对接，低空经济氛围发展很足。”AS700项目方相关负责人告诉记者，飞艇项目签约落地后，将进一步深化拓展当地“低空+文旅”运用场景，推动无人机和载人机业态一体发展。
在本月23号举行的首届中国（绍兴）低空经济展览会上，飞艇将首次亮相，为市民和广大游客提供为期3天的深度体验，并在后续开通各类“飞在云端”低空旅游常态化体验。记者从相关研发团队了解到，后续将把低空观光旅游作为典型示范场景，通过先锋用户试运营，打通载人飞艇商业运行的各个环节，延伸应用场景至空中广告、城市安保、航空勘探、应急救援等多领域，拓展低空经济新赛道，构建低空经济新业态。
“我们将以本次飞艇项目签约为契机，聚焦生产制造环节，大力催生一批飞艇项目上下游企业和关联产业落地，加快形成体系完备的低空经济产业链，推动越城加速成为‘全省领先、全国一流’的低空经济发展高地，持续擦亮‘低空经济看绍兴’的新名片金名片。”越城区相关负责人表示。
