Chengdu is a great place to travel in this gloden October! The visiting group of Hong Kong Media’s Sichuan-Chongqing Tour officially started on 22 September, focusing on Two Cities Economy Circus of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, and Chongqing Municipality. The very first destination for the 30-people visiting group on Monday is Sichuan Wofei Changkong Technology Development Co., Ltd. (Aerofugia) based in Chengdu and focusing on R&D and commercial operation of global low-altitude smart transportation aircraft.
Sichuan Wofei Changkong Technology Development Co., Ltd. By Bastillepost
Low-altitude economy has received much attention from society in recent years,CCID Consulting, an institution subordinate to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) predicted that the scale of China’s low-altitude economy market will exceed 100 billion yuan, and become a real hundred-billion market. As an important part of low-altitude economy, eVTOL (electronic vertical take-off and landing aircraft) is one of the most popular branch fields. With low-altitude enterprises speed up the commercial development, Aerofugia pushes low-altitude industry agglomeration and upgrading as it is one of the leading domestic enterprises in eVTOL airframe manufacturing, it also believe that ordinary people actually travelling by “Air Taxis” is no longer a dream.
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Sichuan Wofei Changkong Technology Development Co., Ltd. By Bastillepost
Sichuan Wofei Changkong Technology Development Co., Ltd. (Aerofugia). By Bastillepost
Hou Yi, Senior Product Manager of Aerofugia. By Bastillepost
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Sichuan Wofei Changkong Technology Development Co., Ltd. (Aerofugia). By Bastillepost
Hou Yi, Senior Product Manager of Aerofugia. By Bastillepost
The first destination that the Hong Kong Media visiting group arrived is the global headquater，Hou Yi, Senior Product Manager of Aerofugia, introduced that electronic aviation has three main operational scenarios, including urban air mobility (airbus), urban low-altitude tourism(air sightseeing) and air medical rescue. So far, industry insiders in the world are at the stage of proactive development. As a leading eVTOL manufacturer in China, Aerofugia plans to have Type Certificate and Production Certificate by 2026, then it can officially try to run commercial operation.
When talking about the concept of “Intergrated Air-Ground-Space” Shared Mobility, Hou Yi explains that people can use online taxi app to directly plan air-ground inter-modality, “There is private car taking customers to eVOTL’s landing field, customers can directly on board and fly to the destination once they arrive the landing field.” He says, once they have Type Certificate, Aerofugia can start to gradually launch the trial operation and formal commercial operation of the "Integrated Air-Ground-Space" Shared Mobility system.
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Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are actively developing low-altitude economy now, when talking about the reasons to choose Chengdu, Hou Yi says that Chengdu is one of Chinese traditional Airbases, which includes cities like Shanghai, Shenyang and Xi’an, but there are many aviation talents in Chengdu. Being the center of the whole Southwest area, Chengdu has huge population and blooming economy, and it also has a relatively complete industrial chain, which can provide the most setting industrial chain that eVTOL manufacture needs.
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Hou Yi points out that, as one of six low-altitude testing cities, with the firm policy support to developing low-altitude economy from Chengdu Government, Chengdu has more and more flexible support compared to some first-tier cities.
Owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Aerofugia is working on R&D and commercial operation of global low-altitude smart transportation aircraft. Founded on 15 September, 2025, the headquater of Aerofugia locates in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. The company is working on R&D and commercial operation of global low-altitude smart transportation aircraft, and the main business includes R&D and manufacture of drones and aircars. In February 2024, AeroVolt was ranked ninth in the global ranking of companies engaged in eVTOL research and development published by Mark Moore in Aviation Week & Space Technology. In March, Aerofugia was ranked 8th in AIR launched by SMG Consultancy.
Alongside the Government’s push to develop Hong Kong’s low-altitude economy, drone sports have been gaining in popularity.
Aerial showdown: Drone soccer is a team-based aerial sport that involves pilots manoeuvring drones encased in spherical shields, with the aim of scoring by flying through the opposition’s goal hoop. Image source: news.gov.hk
Secondary 2 student Lawrence Tong is a devotee of drone soccer who already has rich drone experience under his belt. He recently joined four teammates to compete in a five-a-side drone soccer tournament at Cyberport.
“I enjoy drone soccer because it helps me improve communication and teamwork, as well as my problem-solving and observation skills,” he said.
The team-based aerial sport involves pilots manoeuvring drones encased in spherical shields. Some pilots act as defenders and others as strikers, and the aim is to score by flying through the opponent’s goal hoop, which is suspended in the air.
Lawrence began learning to programme drones in Primary 1, and was introduced to drone soccer by his extracurricular activity teacher in Primary 4. Now captain of his school’s drone club, he is proficient in everything from drone maintenance to piloting and in-game tactical adaptation.
Drone dream: Drone soccer tournament participant Lawrence Tong hopes the sport helps players improve their communication and problem-solving skills, adding that he hopes to study drone-related subjects in the future. Image source: news.gov.hk
Drone dream
At the tournament, Lawrence analysed the opposing teams before each match and adjusted the drone setups. In between matches, he checked for damage and had to perform quick repairs, such as replacing broken propellers.
He emphasised that teamwork is the key to success in the game, explaining that if a defensive player is knocked out by an opponent, other pilots must quickly shift positions to cover.
Though his team trailed early on in the competition, they eventually found their rhythm and secured fourth place.
Looking ahead, Lawrence said he would like to study drone-related subjects if he gets the chance.
“For now, I will prioritise my studies while continuing to develop my interests. But if I could pursue a career in this field in the future, that would be a dream come true.”
Close alignment: The drone soccer tournament held at Cyberport conformed with the competition rules and standards followed by the 15th National Games, which include an aircraft modelling competition as a mass participation event. Image source: news.gov.hk
Nurturing talent
The tournament was hosted by the DNT FPV Drone Association Hong Kong, China, and drew participants from both secondary and primary schools across Hong Kong, as well as other cities in the Greater Bay Area.
The association’s chairman Sky Yeung highlighted that everything about the event – from the competition rules and drone specifications to the size of the goal hoop – aligned with the standards followed by the 15th National Games, currently underway in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong. For the first time, the roster of mass participation events at the games includes an aircraft modelling competition, featuring drone soccer, drone racing and indoor radio-controlled air combat.
He added that the Cyberport tournament also aimed to give more young people a taste of drone sports and build their problem-solving capabilities.
“For different drones, how to gain the balance, how to have a longer flight time – these all are related to aerodynamics and also the drone technology.
“So the students need to know how to control the drone manually. They need to modify the drone – for example, the flight time, battery lifetime, ESC (electronic speed controller), and PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative control).”
He added that these skills have practical applications beyond the context of sports – from search and rescue operations to cargo lifting and pipe inspections.
Currently, the drone association provides drone-related courses and activities to around 150 local schools.
Mr Yeung believes that Hong Kong youths have immense potential when it comes to innovation and creativity, and that nurturing young drone sports talent can contribute to the city’s low-altitude economy in the future.
Cultivating potential: DNT FPV Drone Association Hong Kong, China Chairman Sky Yeung says the technology used in drone soccer has practical applications, such as in search and rescue operations, and aims to nurture young talent to support the development of Hong Kong’s low-altitude economy. Image source: news.gov.hk
Dedicated facility
Drone sports encompasses a wide variety of formats besides soccer – drone racing, for example, involves pilots flying high-speed drones through obstacle courses.
Racing drones, also known as FPV (first-person view) drones, stream live video from an onboard camera to a pilot’s goggles and can reach speeds of up to 300km per hour. Accordingly, they require venues with high safety standards, and – as Mr Yeung explained – until recently this meant participants often had to travel to other cities in the Greater Bay Area in order to train.
That changed, however, with the opening of Hong Kong’s first drone sports centre at Cyberport in October. The drone association now makes use of this enclosed and safe environment to conduct drone training and explore real-world applications.
Cyberport Management Company Head of Engineering Services Eddie Lok reported that the facility has received a keen response in terms of bookings from drone sports enthusiasts and training providers, and has already hosted a fun day in addition to training sessions.
“With drone sports now featured in both the National Games and the World Games, Cyberport plans to host cross-boundary matches involving Chinese Mainland teams, and even bring international tournaments to Hong Kong in order to promote drone sports on a global scale.”
With the construction of Cyberport 5 set to be completed next month, Mr Lok added that Cyberport will continue to support the Government’s development of Hong Kong’s low-altitude economy and invest in facilities based on industry needs.
Flying start: Cyberport Management Company Head of Engineering Services Eddie Lok says the drone sports centre has received a keen response in terms of bookings since its launch, and has already accommodated three events. Image source: news.gov.hk
