BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- China's domestically developed manned airships are soaring from experimental trials into the world of large-scale commercial operations, with the first batch of indigenously trained pilots ready to fly revenue-generating missions aboard the AS700 airship.
After four pilots received their commercial licenses from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in early May, they have been well-prepared to make their official debut on commercial routes that truly signals the takeoff of China's homegrown airship industry.
Based in Jingmen City of central China's Hubei Province, the pilots are now helping customer companies establish operational models for the AS700, a manned airship developed by China Special Vehicle Research Institute under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
The AS700 is China's first manned airship built in full compliance with airworthiness regulations, and it boasts complete independent intellectual property rights. Measuring 50 meters long with a maximum range of 700 kilometers, it can carry up to 10 passengers. Its smooth, cloudlike form inspired its name, Xiangyun, meaning "auspicious cloud."
The four pilots are all experienced pilots who underwent China's first systematic commercial airship training program, said Zhao Jianan, test flight director at the institute, according to a report by People's Daily on Monday.
"Previously, China had no systematic formal training for commercial airship pilots," said Luo Xiyan, general manager of the equipment division at the institute.
Approved by the CAAC in March 2025, the curriculum included aerostatic principles, low-speed and low-altitude precision control, and the handling of unique airship systems, such as envelope pressure management and vector propulsion. Their training required more than 400 take-offs and landings.
This progress will advance the development of China's standardized training, certification, and professional cultivation system for airship pilots, laying a solid talent foundation for the large-scale application of low-altitude economy across multiple scenarios, the report noted.
Piloting an airship differs fundamentally from flying an airplane, said Feng Xingfei, one of the newly deployed pilots.
Aircraft pilots focus on rapid responses and aggressive maneuvering. Airship pilots, however, must excel at airflow prediction and fine-tuning adjustments, he said.
Even seasoned aircraft pilots had to set aside their old flying instincts since airships are more susceptible to wind and need careful attitude control at low speeds.
This rigorous training is already paying off. With a team of certified pilots now ready to fly, the AS700 is moving from the test phase into real-world commercial service. Market confidence in the homegrown airship has grown steadily as the training system matured.
The AS700 has already secured 44 firm orders. Beyond Hubei, commercial operations are scheduled to launch in Shaoxing in east China's Zhejiang Province, and Zhuhai of Guangdong Province in south China by the end of this year.
Each operational airship will require two to three pilots, meaning the existing orders alone demand nearly 100 qualified pilots, a figure which is expected to surge as China's low-altitude economy expands.
To meet growing demand, AVIC plans to establish the country's first dedicated airship flight school, creating a standardized talent pipeline.
The low-altitude economy has gained significant policy momentum in recent years. China's government work report this year designated the sector as a national emerging pillar industry.
The market size of China's low-altitude economy was estimated to have reached 1.5 trillion yuan (about 220.3 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025 and is projected to exceed 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035, according to CAAC figures. ■
