Hong Kong has already been testing out drones for medical deliveries and limited food deliveries, but something much bigger is coming to the city’s airspace in the near future. According to Mable Chan, Hong Kong’s secretary for transport and logistics, who spoke at the Airspace Asia Pacific 2025 event at AsiaWorld-Expo earlier last month, Hong Kong is gearing up to make waves in the world of unmanned aviation and drone logistics to secure prime positioning in leading the region’s burgeoning low-altitude economy.
At the forefront of this aviation innovation is the introduction of passenger drones. Hong Kong could be seeing the launch of passenger-carrying drones as soon as 2027, says Dominic Chow, deputy director general of civil aviation, who gave a timeline of two to three years at a recent conference in Beijing. Developing passenger-carrying drones is all part of Hong Kong’s Regulatory Sandbox X, a scheme that allows for the testing of heavier unmanned aircraft, passenger drones, and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) for cross-border logistics. It’s said that the drone service would be significantly more affordable than using helicopters, “estimated at just a fraction” according to current calculations. Helicopter services in Hong Kong can range between $2,300 per passenger for group tours and $41,700 for private charters, though these prices are by no means definitive and can vary depending on the operator.
Hong Kong is undoubtedly making strides to establish itself as a regional pioneer in low-altitude operations, all while the global competition in the aviation space is heating up. Spain carried out flight tests for emergency drones, flying taxis are expected to be launched in Dubai as soon as 2026, and Shenzhen already uses drones for deliveries.
However, Hong Kong’s unique position as a financial centre, coupled with its integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, provides the perfect launchpad for developing a robust low-altitude economy on a rapid schedule, so there’s positive sentiment on the horizon for new opportunities in this emerging space.
In a few years’ time, the skies above Hong Kong could soon be bustling with the hum of passenger drones. Maybe we’ll be getting flying private vehicles next, à la The Jetsons.
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