Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, at Intelligent Altitudes: The HKBU Low-Altitude Economy Summit 2026 today (February 27):
Dr Wong (Chairman of the Council and the Court of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Dr Kennedy Wong), President Wai (President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, Professor Alexander Wai), the Honourable Elizabeth Quat (Founding President of the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance, Dr Elizabeth Quat), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. It really gives me great pleasure to join you today at the Intelligent Altitudes: The HKBU Low-Altitude Economy Summit 2026. What a wonderful day to start this topic during the first month of the Year of the Horse. As the horse symbolises speed and energy, this is a very good opportunity for us to gather here to consider and discuss the way forward for the development of the LAE (low-altitude economy) in Hong Kong. I would like to first thank HKBU for hosting this timely event, providing an important platform to connect policy, research and industry practice in this field of ever-increasing importance.
Over the past two years, the Government has been pressing ahead with building an internationally competitive LAE ecosystem, deeply integrating into the national strategy of developing new quality productive forces and injecting new impetus to the economic growth of Hong Kong. Under the leadership of the Deputy Financial Secretary, the Working Group on Developing Low-altitude Economy of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been co-ordinating interdepartmental efforts in fostering innovation and facilitating applications in this emerging sector.
As a pioneering endeavour, the Working Group launched the LAE Regulatory Sandbox in March last year as a structured platform for real-life trials of the LAE in various scenarios. Of the 38 selected projects in the first batch of the Sandbox scheme, 32 have already commenced operations within the designated routes, and more than 20 involving application scenarios that are relatively mature, involve relatively lower risks, and with routes above less densely populated roads have been progressively regularised, covering performance, surveillance, inspection and maintenance, etc. These projects are not paper exercises anymore. We should not say sandbox is only a trial project. Many of them are actually operating in our daily life. They provide practical experience on how unmanned aircrafts and related systems can enhance public services, bring together different industries and trades to improve efficiency and open up new commercial models in Hong Kong. Indeed, drone services extend far beyond the commercial model. At this opportune time, I would like to share with you a recent activity that I participated in. Recently, I have visited an 80-year-old elderly lady, who used to be an English teacher. Due to various reasons, she has limited accessibility and mobility. She has been living in a remote village in Tai Po along Ting Kok Road. Happily, my subject team colleagues under the Working Group collaborated with an NGO (non-governmental organisation) under the Labour and Welfare Bureau. They have been experimenting the trial of drones to deliver meals to this lady in that remote village in Tai Po. I visited her that day, and we could actually feel she was very happy in the sense that she could receive hot meals through drone delivery, which involves a significant, drastic reduction of the journey time – from previously one and a half to two hours along Ting Kok Road to just around 10 minutes or so. It’s not just the saving in journey time but also saving in manpower resources. The NGO, being not a very big one, their helpers are very young people who are very keen and interested in learning how to handle drones – changing the battery and to get the drone box and the meal box from the drone. In fact, they can spend more time in providing more care and counselling service to the needy families in that village.
While the Regulatory Sandbox presents a flexible and risk-based testing ground for pilot LAE applications, we have also continued to refine and enhance the formal regulatory framework to allow for standardisation in the long term. Following the regularisation of selected Sandbox projects, the Civil Aviation Department has issued associated advisory circulars to provide evidence-based guidelines for the practical applications of the LAE in tested scenarios. By now they have already issued four circulars to cover four categories of LAE scenarios, and we look forward to having more to be posted on their website so that interested operators and parties can follow a streamlined procedure to get approval. Relevant ordinances have been also amended with effect from mid-July 2025 to permit the operation of eligible unmanned aircraft weighing 25 to 150 kilograms, and the trial operation of unconventional aircraft under specified conditions.
Building on the solid foundation and the passionate dedication from the Government, industry and professional practitioners, the Working Group rolled out the advanced “Regulatory Sandbox X” last November to test out even more advanced and complex application scenarios, ranging from cross-boundary logistic operations, unconventional aircraft designed for passenger-carrying, and integrated operation platforms, with the “X” representing “extended”, “extra” and “collaboration” as its defining elements.
The applications for three of the five modules under the “Regulatory Sandbox X” have closed and the remaining two modules will close tomorrow. For those who have yet to submit their applications, you still have 24 hours to submit applications. I can tell you in advance that we have received an overwhelming response from the community, both in Hong Kong and across the boundary, to participate in our “Regulatory Sandbox X”.
As outlined in the recently promulgated Transport Strategy Blueprint, the LAE is a key pillar of the Government’s strategy to promote digital management to lead the development of a well-connected city with innovative technology. Looking ahead, the Working Group will formulate an Action Plan on Developing Low-altitude Economy, with a view to charting the top level design and a clear roadmap for the basic infrastructure, regulatory evolution and regional collaboration needed to scale the LAE application in Hong Kong from pilot to becoming mainstream.
Of course, the promotion of the LAE in Hong Kong cannot rely solely on the Government, but requires the concerted efforts of the academia, industries and ancillary sectors such as finance and insurance. This is why today’s Summit is such an opportune occasion for experts and enthusiasts from different fields to come together and exchange views on the way forward for LAE development in Hong Kong. With panel discussion themes spanning strategic investment, artificial intelligence technology, business applications and regional collaboration, I am sure all participants would find the programme organised by the summit today most fruitful and rewarding. The Government will also look forward to receiving more fruitful and pragmatic ideas and suggestions on how we can embrace all these proposals and suggestions in charting our way forward.
In this connection, I must once again express my gratitude to today’s organiser, HKBU, for being an indispensable partner of the Government in the promotion of the LAE. Leveraging its academic niches in artificial intelligence, creative arts and research institutions in pushing the knowledge frontier in the LAE, I think HKBU brings a very unique perspective among our local universities and research institutions, which I think is very evident from the diverse discussion themes in today’s event. I understand that the summit today also forms part of the 70th platinum jubilee celebration of HKBU. I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations on this memorable event today. I also take this opportunity to congratulate the university on its remarkable achievements. I still remember the good old days when I listened to concerts in the Academic Community Hall in HKBU when we were still young. When I passed by the HKBU campus, there were lots of expansion and construction hanging around. If there is anything that will require the Transport and Logistics Bureau’s help, do let me know offline. The Government will continue to work hand in hand with our world-renowned universities to nurture a new generation of talent for and drive innovation in the blossoming LAE industry.
May we all join hands to establish Hong Kong as an Asia-Pacific innovation hub for the LAE, making sure that the LAE can fly steadily, far and safely. Before I close, I would also like to wish all of you a very prosperous and healthy Year of the Horse. Thank you very much.
Ends/Friday, February 27, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:33
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