China's civil helicopter fleet is projected to grow to more than 1,700 aircraft by 2029, according to an annual forecast released by an aviation research center on Wednesday.

The report was published by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Civil Aircraft Systems Engineering Research Center and was unveiled at the China Helicopter Development Forum 2025.

It offers a 10-year outlook for the national civil helicopter market, forecasting that the total fleet will surpass 2,000 units by 2034. However, fleet expansion is expected to slow after 2030, partly due to growing competition from advanced low-altitude technologies such as drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The report also indicates a steady increase in civil helicopter flight hours -- a trend underpinned by China's economic restructuring and the rapid expansion of its low-altitude economy. Total annual flight hours are projected to surpass 300,000 by 2029, and to reach 370,000 by 2034.

By the end of 2024, China's civil helicopter fleet had expanded to 1,403 aircraft, which was a year-on-year increase of 2.3 percent. Light helicopters continued to dominate, accounting for more than 40 percent of the fleet.