A Comparative Study on International Low-altitude Airspace
Planning Policies and Implementation Pathways:
Experience from the United States, Europe, and Japan
Boya Zhang, Sisi Liang, Weimin Zhuang, Wei Zhang
Abstract：The low-altitude economy is driving the expansion of urban space into the third dimension, transforming low-altitude
airspace into a volumetric operational space that necessitates deep support from ground-based systems. Focusing on
low-altitude airspace planning and reviewing the current status in China, this paper conducts a comparative study
of strategic logic of advanced air mobility (AAM) in the United States, the service-oriented governance of U-space
in Europe, and the scenario-based experimentation in Japan. Drawing on these international experiences, the study
explores planning response pathways oriented toward “ground-air integration”. It proposes transcending the limitations
of isolated airspace designation by integrating “energy-transport-information” into volumetric operational units and
incorporating the “social license” into the planning assessment framework. The findings aim to provide theoretical
references and practical guidance for relevant planning endeavors.
