Sino Jet's EFLY: Engineering a New Reality for China's Low-Altitude Economy

SHANGHAI, China – July 24, 2026 – The launch of a new brand at a bustling tech expo is hardly a novelty. Yet, the official unveiling of EFLY (壹飞出行) at the 2026 International Low-Altitude Economy Expo in Shanghai represents more than just a new logo in the crowded skies of urban air mobility (UAM). It signals a calculated, systemic attempt to solve the two critical problems holding back the sector's promise: operational safety and network fragmentation. Backed by Asia-Pacific business aviation leader Sino Jet and hard-tech investor T-Capital, EFLY is not just another eVTOL operator; it is an ambitious blueprint for industrializing China's low-altitude future.

For years, China's low-altitude economy—a sector projected to exceed 3.5 trillion yuan ($516.8 billion) by 2035—has been a landscape of scattered pilot programs and dazzling technology demonstrations. The industry is now at a crucial inflection point, moving beyond policy-driven hype toward the complex realities of commercial deployment. As Li Yuanfeng, Chairman of EFLY, articulated at the launch, the moment requires a shift from scattered pilots to a new stage of "systematic, commercial, and standardized development." This is the precise signal EFLY's market entry is sending.

The Business Aviation Blueprint for Safety

At the heart of EFLY's strategy is a direct transplant of the rigorous safety culture and operational discipline from the world of high-end business aviation. EFLY’s controlling shareholder, Sino Jet, is not a tech startup. It is a 15-year veteran of an industry where mistakes are not an option. As the first company in mainland China to achieve the IS-BAO Level III certification—the highest global safety standard in business aviation—Sino Jet has built its reputation on meticulous maintenance, professional operations, and a mature safety management system.

EFLY plans to extend this DNA to the low-altitude domain. This is a significant differentiator in a market where the competitive logic is shifting from raw technological capability to demonstrable operational safety. While competitors like EHang and Aerofugia have made strides in aircraft certification, EFLY’s focus is on the operational framework that wraps around the technology. The company has already secured the critical CCAR-135 operating qualification in multiple locations, a mandatory license for commercial operations that requires a rigorous evaluation of an operator's entire system. This follows the path set by Sino Jet’s Zhejiang subsidiary, which became the first in East China to complete this joint certification process in January 2026, creating a replicable model for national expansion.

This approach is validated by recent government actions. In May 2026, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) established a dedicated low-altitude safety department, signaling that regulatory scrutiny will only intensify as the industry scales. By preemptively adopting the highest possible standards, EFLY is positioning itself not just as a market participant, but as a benchmark for the entire industry.

Weaving a National Network from Fragmented Skies

While safety provides the foundation, EFLY's most ambitious play is its strategy to overcome the industry's chronic fragmentation. The company's “Low-Altitude Co-Building” program is a masterclass in system-level thinking, designed to knit together disparate regional efforts into a cohesive national network. Instead of going it alone, EFLY is forming deep-seated joint ventures with provincial state-owned capital platforms.

Strategic cooperation agreements have already been signed with powerful regional entities in Tianjin, Hubei, Gansu, and Shaanxi. These add to existing footholds in the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area, and Hainan. This government-enterprise joint venture model is designed to tackle the biggest hurdles to scaled operations: infrastructure and airspace access. By partnering with local governments and urban investment platforms, EFLY can coordinate the planning of essential infrastructure like vertiports and operational support bases, integrating policies, airspace, and land resources from the ground up.

This co-building system is structured around three pillars: co-building industry investment through local joint ventures, co-building infrastructure with government partners, and co-building commercial scenarios with ecosystem players. It’s a model that aims to export a standardized, replicable solution for low-altitude industrial operations across the country, effectively creating a franchise-like system for urban air mobility. It is an attempt to build the railroad network for the 21st century's new form of transport, ensuring the tracks are laid before the trains are running at full speed.

From Blueprint to Reality: Fleet, Partners, and Commercialization

An ambitious strategy requires tangible assets. EFLY enters the market with a secured reserve of 50 Aerofugia AE200 eVTOL aircraft, the result of a firm purchase agreement Sino Jet signed in 2025. The AE200, a six-seater with a 200km range, is a formidable platform. Its manufacturer, a subsidiary of auto giant Geely, has already secured its own CCAR-135 operation certificate, adding another layer of regulatory validation to EFLY's chosen hardware. This fleet provides the initial capacity to service key scenarios like airport-to-city express routes, inter-city shuttles, and tourism sightseeing.

Beyond its core aviation and government partners, EFLY is also weaving a rich commercial ecosystem. Strategic cooperation with giants like e-commerce leader JD Group, high-end cultural tourism operator Anaya Holding Group, and others signals a focus on real-world use cases. The goal is to embed low-altitude mobility into existing value chains—delivering high-value goods, creating unique travel experiences, and providing critical public services. This moves the conversation beyond mere transportation and toward integrated economic activity.

EFLY's debut is a powerful statement. It asserts that the next phase of the low-altitude economy will be won not by the most futuristic aircraft alone, but by the most robust and integrated system. By combining the operational discipline of business aviation, the financial muscle of hard-tech capital, and the strategic alignment of government partnerships, EFLY is making a credible bid to build that very system, transforming the promise of flying cars into a standardized, scalable, and commercially viable reality.