The ambitious plan, announced Tuesday by city officials, calls for building more than 1,200 take-off and landing platforms across the metropolis.
It must be noted that Shenzhen isn’t starting from scratch—it’s already got 249 platforms up and running, with plans to add 147 more by December and another 658 next year.
But platforms alone won’t cut it. The city is also rolling out over 8,000 new 5G-Advanced base stations to keep everything connected up to 600 meters high, plus a sophisticated air traffic management system dubbed the “brain for lower airspace.”
And this is just the beginning—Shenzhen’s already eyeing another 20 billion yuan investment for 2026-2030.
The city’s become a magnet for companies pushing the boundaries of aerial innovation. Global drone giant DJI calls Shenzhen home, while companies like EHang, Meituan, and Xpeng are already testing their tech in the city’s airspace.
The numbers tell the story: over 1,500 drone-related companies have set up shop in Shenzhen, and they’re expected to generate more than 100 billion yuan by 2025. The city’s also playing a key role in China’s Greater Bay Area plan, working with Hong Kong and other nearby cities to pioneer aerial transportation networks.
If Shenzhen pulls this off, it could write the playbook for how cities worldwide approach the future of urban transportation. With this massive investment in aerial infrastructure, the sci-fi dream of flying cars might just land in Shenzhen first.
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