BY 2026, Shenzhen plans to construct over 1,200 low-altitude takeoff and landing sites for low-altitude aircraft, including unmanned drones, manned vehicles, air taxis, and logistics drones, in an effort to enhance the high-quality growth of its low-altitude economy, as announced during a government meeting Tuesday.

To date, Shenzhen has established 249 low-altitude takeoff and landing sites, the highest number in the nation. Nanshan District’s 32 sites cater to low-altitude aircraft involved in passenger transport, logistics, community delivery, and medical distribution services. Additionally, Bao’an District is home to 35 such sites and has initiated 132 drone flight paths.

At the same time, Shenzhen is working to transform the Shenzhen Low-altitude Operation Headquarters Base in Bao’an District and the Zhangkengjing takeoff and landing site in Longhua District into landmark low-altitude, full-scenario flight demonstration sites.

Currently, Shenzhen boasts an extensive network of 80,000 5G base stations that ensures 5G connectivity throughout the low-altitude airspace, which extends up to 120 meters above the ground. Additionally, the city has deployed a series of BeiDou satellite positioning stations — they offer superior communication, perception, and positioning services to over 100,000 drones operated by leading companies in the drone sector.

Looking ahead, Shenzhen is set to expand its infrastructure with the addition of more than 8,000 5G-A base stations. This expansion, which aims to bolster network coverage in the airspace below 600 meters, will facilitate the widespread implementation of innovative low-altitude applications.

Shenzhen’s low-altitude economy had reached a staggering 96 billion yuan (US$13.4 billion) in scale by 2023, according to the city’s public transport bureau in August.

Shenzhen has formed a competitive advantage in the low-altitude economy with a comprehensive industrial chain system. Statistics show that the city’s low-altitude products enjoy worldwide recognition for their quality, with consumer drones accounting for 70% of the global market and industrial drones accounting for 50%.

(Han Ximin)