China's Feipeng ramps up global push in drone race

Chinese civil drone maker Aerospace Times Feipeng is accelerating its global expansion push with a focus on Southeast Asia and the Middle East, as it seeks to navigate intense domestic competition, a company executive said.

- JULIE ZHU HUEY MUN LEONG

“The domestic Chinese market is too competitive. Going overseas is a step we must take,” Harry Kang, president of Feipeng’s international business, told Reuters on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow, where the unlisted company is exhibiting for the second time.

Manufacturers in China, the world’s top drone-making nation, are testing larger payloads while transport companies are planning air taxi services with and without crew as the country loosens airspace restrictions and offers incentives to develop a “low-altitude economy.”