LAE Daily Brief - 05/02/26
Round-up of the most critical LAE news from the past 24 hours
China’s low-altitude economy continues its rapid expansion, marked by significant international milestones and strong provincial-level strategic planning. EHang achieves a historic first crewed flight in Latin America, while Zhejiang Province outlines ambitious goals for its AI and LAE sectors in the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan.
International Expansion
EHang EH216-S Completes First Crewed Flight in Latin America (亿航智能EH216-S完成墨西哥及拉丁美洲首次载人飞行)
EHang announced on May 1 that its EH216-S pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOL aircraft successfully completed its first crewed flight in Mexico and across Latin America. The flight took place at Tulum International Airport during the 2026 Mexico Aerospace Fair (FAMEX). The EH216-S had previously received a special airworthiness certificate from the Mexican Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC). This milestone demonstrates the aircraft’s operational readiness and paves the way for future commercial applications in tourism and airport shuttles in the region. [1]
Strategic Planning
Zhejiang Province Targets Trillion-Yuan AI and LAE Industries in 15th Five-Year Plan (浙江“十五五”布局60个未来产业先导区，AI核心产业剑指万亿)
As part of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), Zhejiang Province has announced plans to establish 60 future industry pilot zones. The province aims to build pillar industries including artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, biomanufacturing, low-altitude economy, and commercial aerospace. Specifically, Zhejiang targets its core AI industry revenue to reach 1 trillion yuan. The plan emphasizes forward-looking integration, such as “AI + Agriculture” and “Low-Altitude Economy + Agriculture,” to drive high-quality development and modernization. [2]
[1] 亿航智能: 亿航智能EH216-S完成墨西哥及拉丁美洲首次载人飞行 (https://www.ehang.com/cn/news/1365.html)
[2] 21财经: 浙江“十五五”布局60个未来产业先导区，AI核心产业剑指万亿 (https://www.21jingji.com/article/20260502/herald/8dd818a852c4be8406c5332dd152656f.html)