[Special Topic Review] Low-Altitude Transportation Integrated into National Strategy: Composite Material Enterprises Usher in a New Blue Ocean in Three-Dimensional Transportation

I. Policy Breakthrough: Low-Altitude Transportation Officially Incorporated into the National Transportation Strategic System

On September 12, 2024, the General Office of the Ministry of Transport issued the Guidelines on the Application Directions for Pilot Projects in Building a Country with Strong Transportation Network (2025), which, for the first time, included "promoting the high-quality development of low-altitude transportation" as one of the 16 core application areas for pilot projects. It further refined this into 52 specific directions, covering three major dimensions: the cultivation of application scenarios, planning formulation, and joint supervision. This policy marks the official transition of China's low-altitude transportation from local pilot projects to a national strategic level, providing top-level design support for the construction of an integrated three-dimensional transportation network encompassing "air, land, sea, and space."

Policy Highlights:

• Clearly defined cultivation directions for 12 types of application scenarios, including urban air mobility (UAM), emergency rescue, and logistics distribution, requiring pilot regions to achieve "replicable experience within three years."

• For the first time, provincial transportation departments are required to formulate dedicated low-altitude transportation plans, coordinating airspace resources, infrastructure layout, and industrial development.

• Implementation of a "industry + local" joint supervision model, establishing a cross-departmental data-sharing platform to address institutional barriers such as airworthiness certification and airspace management.

II. Industrial Synergy: Three Strategic Opportunities for Composite Material Enterprises

The stringent requirements of low-altitude transportation equipment for lightweight, high-strength, and corrosion-resistant properties have made composite materials a critical technological support. It is estimated that the proportion of composite materials used in a single eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) ranges from 60% to 70%, significantly exceeding the 30% level of traditional aircraft. With the release of policy dividends, composite material enterprises can tap into the low-altitude economy through three key pathways:

1. Material Innovation: Breaking Through "Bottleneck" Technologies

• High-performance fibers: Focus on the development of high-end products such as T1100-grade carbon fibers and aramid fibers to meet the demands of primary load-bearing structures in aircraft. Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd. has achieved mass production of T1100 carbon fibers at the kiloton level, reducing costs by 40% compared to imports.

• Prepreg technology: Develop rapid-curing, low-temperature molding prepreg systems to shorten manufacturing cycles. Weihai Guangwei Composites Co., Ltd.'s 3-minute rapid-curing prepreg has been applied to the fuselage of EHang's EH216-S.

• Functional modifications: Research intelligent composite materials with electromagnetic shielding, stealth, and self-repair capabilities to enhance the environmental adaptability of aircraft. Shanghai Genius Advanced Material Co., Ltd. has developed graphene-modified carbon fibers, improving electrical conductivity by 300%.

2. Process Upgrades: Building a New Paradigm of Intelligent Manufacturing

• Automated laying: Deploy 8-axis robotic fiber placement machines for one-step molding of large components. AVIC High-Tech's introduction of Germany's DST automatic fiber placement machine has increased material utilization from 65% to 85%.

• 3D printing technology: Utilize laser sintering and photopolymerization processes to manufacture complex structural parts. Xi'an Platinum 3D Technology Co., Ltd. customized titanium alloy 3D-printed brackets for Autoflight, reducing weight by 60%.

• Digital simulation: Establish material-process-performance databases to shorten research and development cycles. ANSYS's dedicated simulation platform for low-altitude aircraft can reduce airworthiness certification time by 50%.

3. Ecosystem Co-construction: Fostering Industrial Collaborative Innovation

• Joint laboratories: Establish material R&D centers with aircraft manufacturers, such as the "Advanced Composite Materials Joint Laboratory" co-founded by JC T700 Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd. and Aerofugia, for targeted development of aerospace-grade materials.

• Standard setting: Participate in the formulation of national standards such as General Requirements for Composite Structural Components of Civil UAVs to seize industry discourse power. Jiangsu Hengshen Co., Ltd. has led the formulation of three group standards.

• Supply chain finance: Address downstream customers' financial pressures through factoring and financial leasing models. Weihai Guangwei Composites Co., Ltd.'s collaboration with Ping An Leasing on a "materials + equipment" financing package has driven a 200% increase in orders.

III. Future Business Opportunities: Market Size to Exceed RMB 100 Billion by 2030

According to CCID Consulting's forecast, China's low-altitude transportation market is expected to reach RMB 1.5 trillion by 2030, with the output value related to composite materials potentially exceeding RMB 100 billion, forming three major growth poles:

1. Urban Air Mobility (UAM)

It is projected that by 2027, the domestic eVTOL fleet will exceed 5,000 units, driving an annual demand for 12,000 tons of carbon fiber. Key areas for enterprises to focus on include:

• Aircraft structural components: Supply fuselages, wings, and other primary load-bearing parts for EHang, Volant, and other manufacturers.

• Power systems: Develop lightweight components such as motor housings and propellers to replace traditional metal materials.

• Interior systems: Research flame-retardant, noise-reducing honeycomb sandwich materials to enhance the passenger experience.

2. Logistics Drones

Companies such as SF Express and JD.com plan to deploy 100,000 logistics drones by 2025, creating a demand for high-frequency, low-cost materials:

• Cargo box structures: Utilize glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP), reducing costs by 60% compared to carbon fiber.

• Packaging materials: Develop biodegradable bio-based composites to meet green logistics requirements.

• Ground facilities: Construct drone hangars and charging stations using SMC molded composite materials.

3. Emergency Rescue Systems

Policy mandates the full coverage of a "30-minute emergency response circle" by 2025, driving demand for specialized materials:

• Fire-resistant materials: Research phenolic resin-based composites that pass FAR 25.853 flame-retardant certification.

• Impact-resistant structures: Adopt aramid honeycomb sandwich materials to enhance helicopter crashworthiness.

• Stealth coatings: Develop radar-absorbing materials for military-civilian integration applications.

IV. Strategic Recommendations: Building Three-Dimensional Competitiveness in "Technology + Capital + Ecosystem"

To seize the historic opportunities in the low-altitude economy, composite material enterprises must undergo strategic transformations:

• Technology dimension: Establish an integrated R&D system covering "materials-design-manufacturing" and breakthrough frontier technologies such as thermoplastic composites and nano-enhancement.

• Capital dimension: Integrate industrial chain resources through mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments, such as China National Materials Group's acquisition of Zhongfu Lianzhong Composites Group Co., Ltd. to strengthen synergies between wind turbine blades and aerospace composites.

• Ecosystem dimension: Participate in the formation of low-altitude transportation industry alliances and collaborate with airspace management and communication navigation enterprises to build a digital twin platform for value co-creation across the entire chain.

Conclusion

The rise of low-altitude transportation not only reshapes the traditional aviation industry landscape but also opens up a "second growth curve" for composite material enterprises. Driven by policies, technologies, and capital, enterprises that can achieve technological iteration and ecological layout ahead of time will undoubtedly seize the initiative in this three-dimensional transportation revolution and write new industrial legends.