China's legislature revised the Civil Aviation Law on December 27 to formally bring unmanned aircraft under national regulation, including a new airworthiness certification requirement. The amendments, effective July 1 next year, require firms involved in drone design, production, import, maintenance or operation to be certified and obligate manufacturers to assign unique product IDs. The move aims to close regulatory gaps as the low-altitude economy expands toward an estimated 2 trillion yuan by 2030 and follows interim 2024 rules requiring real-name registration for civil drones.
China Tightens Drone Rules: New Airworthiness Certification, Unique IDs and Stricter Low‑Altitude Oversight
A Jetank (SS-UAV) drone is displayed alongside munitions at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China November 14, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
China has approved a major revision to its Civil Aviation Law that, for the first time, formally regulates unmanned aircraft at the national level. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress ratified the amendments on December 27, adding a requirement for airworthiness certification that closes a key regulatory gap in the country's rapidly expanding drone sector.
What the Law Changes
Scope: The amendments require every organization involved in the design, manufacture, import, maintenance or operation of drones to obtain airworthiness certification.
Identification: Manufacturers must assign a unique product identification code to each drone unit, improving traceability and accountability.
Timing: The new rules take effect on July 1 next year.
Context And Existing Rules
China has already rolled out interim regulations in 2024 that mandate real-name registration for civil drones and differentiate by size: micro, light and small drones are exempt from airworthiness certification, while medium and large drones must apply to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for certification.
Why This Matters
The changes come as the so-called low-altitude economy, defined as commercial activity below 3,000 meters, accelerates rapidly. Independent estimates from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University and the CAAC project the sector to grow to more than 2 trillion yuan (about $280 billion) by 2030, up from roughly 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025.
Regulatory tightening aims to reduce incidents such as illegal flights that have caused airport delays and other disruptions in recent years, while supporting safer commercial expansion in areas such as logistics, passenger air taxis and other low-altitude services.
Industry Impact
Major domestic manufacturers such as DJI, the world s largest consumer drone maker, and EHang, which develops passenger drones, will be affected by the new certification and identification rules. The changes also have direct implications for logistics and e-commerce companies exploring drone delivery: transport ministry data show 2.7 million packages were delivered by drone across 2024, carrying items from meals to essential medicines.
Companies like JD.com and Meituan have long signaled interest in scaling drone logistics to improve supply-chain efficiency. JD Logistics has tested drone delivery corridors in Jiangsu, Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces and says drones can reduce delivery times for rural customers by up to 70%.
Bottom line: The revised Civil Aviation Law brings formal national oversight to drones, enhancing safety and traceability while supporting the rapid growth of China's low-altitude economy.
(Reporting by Sophie Yu and Casey Hall; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
