"Previously, applying for temporary flight routes required visits to multiple departments. Now, everything can be handled at one single window," said Zhong Xiaolei, deputy director of Shaoxing Central Blood Station, on Nov 28.

Reflecting on the use of drones for blood transport, Zhong added, "In the future, we will certainly consider drones more often for emergency blood deliveries."

This shift in mindset is a result of Shaoxing's dedicated efforts, particularly in Yuecheng district, to develop the low-altitude economy.

Drones are now employed in various tasks across Shaoxing, including river patrols and air pollution control. Each local police station in Shaoxing is equipped with drones, which play a crucial role in rescue and emergency operations.

The low-altitude economy is an economic concept that relies on low-altitude airspace, involving low-altitude flight, air tourism, passenger transportation, general aviation services, and scientific research and education.

The size of China's low-altitude economy as of the end of last year was estimated at more than 500 billion yuan ($69.52 billion), with its scale expected to rise to 2 trillion yuan by 2030, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.