SKY WARS: China’s Drone Industry Just Made History

I grew up in the German countryside—where vast fields, forests, and houses no taller than three stories defined the landscape. When my parents immigrated from the Soviet Union to Germany, our family of eight crammed into a small apartment. Their dream was simple: a detached house with a garden. After years of hard work, they made it happen. "You have to work hard to live like this, Thomas," my father often reminded me at dinner. "Having neighbors above and below you is a nightmare."

Now, I live on the 23rd floor of a Shanghai high-rise, surrounded by more neighbors than my hometown had residents. And honestly? I love it—the height, the skyline, the hum of a city alive below.

But this isn’t just about personal preference. It’s about inevitability. While living close to the ground in large houses might still be possible in rural parts of the world, it’s simply not feasible in major urban centers. By 2050, the UN predicts 6.7 billion people—68% of the global population—will live in cities. Urbanization brings challenges: scarce resources, overcrowding, and severe traffic congestion.

Living in Asia for over a decade, I’ve noticed a fundamental difference in how problems are approached:

• Europe: See the problem, discuss the problem.

• Asia: See the problem, solve the problem.

And when it comes to urbanization, the solutions aren’t on the ground—they’re in the sky.

China’s "Just Fly It" Mentality

Recently, China made history by granting the world’s first operational certificates for autonomous passenger drones. EHang Holdings and Hefei Hey Airlines can now legally transport passengers in drone taxis—two people at a time, 130 km/h, 30 km per charge. Just tap your phone, hop in, and glide above traffic jams.

Backed by Beijing’s aggressive policy support, China’s "low-altitude economy" is already worth $27 billion this year alone. Drones in Shenzhen don’t just deliver packages—they bring coffee, hot meals, and emergency medicine across skyscrapers in minutes. Urban air mobility isn’t a concept; it’s infrastructure.

The View From My Window

The future is clearly in the sky. As I write this, I’m watching an endless stream of cars and pedestrians 69 meters below. In ten years, I am certain cars will decrease while people moving above ground will dramatically increase.

So, to European policymakers, my advice is simple: Get on a plane (for now), fly to Shanghai, Seoul, or Tokyo, and glimpse the future—so that Europe might also have one.

Stay curious,

Thomas 

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