China’s soaring low-altitude economy adds ‘new track’ with home-grown blimp delivery
China’s first home-grown ‘civil manned airship’ blimp has been delivered to a client in the southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region
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China has added a new element to its growing low-altitude economy, that is already populated by commercial-use drones and flying cars, with the maiden delivery of its first home-grown “civil manned airship” blimp.
An AS700, manufactured by the Special Vehicle Research Institute under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), was delivered to Guangxi Guilin Ark General Aviation in Yangshuo county in the southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Saturday, Chinese media outlets reported.
China Daily also reported on Saturday that two other clients had ordered a combined 12 AS700 airships, which can hold a maximum weight of 4,150kg (9,149 pounds), fly up to 700km (435 miles) and stay airborne for as long as 10 hours, according to the People.cn news website.
Guangxi Guilin Ark General Aviation will use the 10-seat blimp for aerial sightseeing in a part of China known for karst peaks.
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The Unesco World Heritage Convention said the karst features – formed by the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and dolomite – and geomorphological diversity in southern China are widely recognised as among the best in the world.
