Hong Kong’s low-altitude economic community is expected to launch an industry index as soon as the first quarter of next year to help drone show organizers evaluate meteorological factors.

The so-called “Drone Takeoff Reliability Index” will be based on key variables including climate conditions and signal interference, offering quantitative benchmarks to help organizers avoid unexpected cancellations that could disappoint audiences.

Spearheaded by Hong Kong Polytechnic University and two drone show organizers — X Social Group and Shenzhen-based DAMODA — the index is still being developed to finalize its visualization features and to align with the government’s regulatory sandbox, which is scheduled to begin early next year.

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The collaboration comes after two local drone shows organized to mark National Day had to be aborted because of “meteorological factors” that disrupted the GPS signals critical for operating the devices with precision.

Samuel Lam Hon-yuen, CEO of organizer X Social Group, said that while similar indexes are widely used by individual companies in the drone industry, there is a lack of universal standards essential for Hong Kong, which sees its low-altitude aerial business as a key growth driver.

Unlike traditional aviation involving civilian and military flights, the low-altitude economy is characterized by manned and unmanned aerial activities in airspace below 1,000 meters and extending to not more than 3,000 meters.

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In his third Policy Address, delivered in October, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the establishment of the Working Group on Developing the Low-altitude Economy. The group’s priorities include forming a regulatory sandbox, improving legislation and infrastructure, and facilitating cross-boundary low-altitude flying activities with the Chinese mainland.

Lam said that the index could also serve as a transferable benchmark for other low-altitude-related businesses and jurisdictions to enhance safety and meet market demand.