Embodiments of the present invention disclose a flight control method and apparatus, a flight clearance method, a flight safety maintenance method and apparatus, a server, and an aerial vehicle. The method in the embodiments of the present invention includes: determining, when an unmanned aerial vehicle is flying, a specific flight zone to be entered by the unmanned aerial vehicle, where a flight clearance is required for the unmanned aerial vehicle to enter the specific flight zone; sending application information and information about the specific flight zone to a server, where the application information is used to apply for the flight clearance to enter the specific flight zone, and the information about the specific flight zone is used to indicate the specific flight zone; and sending a flight instruction when a flight clearance sent by the server is received, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle enters the specific flight zone according to the flight instruction. The embodiments of the present invention can improve flexibility of a flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle.