On July 31, the Jiangsu Provincial Meteorological Bureau, Zhenjiang Municipal Meteorological Bureau, Zhenjiang Maritime Safety Administration, and Hongchuang Ship Technology (Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. reached a cooperation agreement to build a joint studio focused on low-altitude flight meteorological services and maritime supervision over the Yangtze River. The Zhenjiang section of the Yangtze River features dense anchorage areas, heavy vessel traffic, and frequent water operations. With the rapid implementation of new business forms such as drone material delivery, intelligent maritime inspections, and water emergency rescue, the demand for low-altitude flight applications in the region continues to rise. Hazardous weather conditions over the Yangtze River surface, including local strong winds, short-term thunderstorms, and low visibility, are characterized by sudden onset, small scale, and rapid changes, posing higher requirements for the safety of water-based low-altitude flights and refined meteorological support services.

This collaboration, based at the Hongchuang Kongying Aviation Base, will focus on the full-chain development of the low-altitude economy, while simultaneously advancing diversified sectors such as cultural tourism, study tours, and rural ecological experiences. It will strategically deploy four key areas: a drone delivery network along the river, a water-land coordinated patrol and intelligent rescue system, a drone pilot training center, and a diversified low-altitude scenario application training base. These initiatives aim to support meteorological technology experiments, real-world scenario applications, and the translation of results into practice, ensuring the safety of Yangtze River navigation and working to create a new model for low-altitude safety governance and industrial development with Zhenjiang waterway characteristics.

Previously, the Zhenjiang Municipal Meteorological Bureau, in collaboration with the Jiangsu Provincial Meteorological Bureau, leveraged the complex waterway characteristics of the Zhenjiang section of the Yangtze River. Utilizing the provincial low-altitude meteorological digital infrastructure and long-range three-dimensional laser wind-measuring radar, they conducted demand-triggered flexible observation experiments in the local waterways. By integrating multi-source data, they successfully developed refined meteorological service products, such as small-area three-dimensional wind fields and route meteorological risk warnings, effectively strengthening the foundation for meteorological safety assurance in water-based low-altitude operations.