China Expands Low-Altitude Economy with Drone Pilot Training
China is scaling its low-altitude economy through government-backed drone certification programs to prepare a workforce for high-paying roles in infrastructure and agriculture.
The Government of China has designated the low-altitude economy—comprising drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft—as a primary growth driver in its 2024 work report. The Civil Aviation Administration of China projects the market reached 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025 and will expand to 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035.
This industrial expansion has sparked a surge in professional certification pursuits among young people and vocational students. In Baiyin, Gansu Province, students at mining colleges are using personal savings to earn licenses for medium-size Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drones to increase their competitiveness for high-paying employment.
To support this workforce transition, the Baiyin local government partnered with training institutions to offer free drone certification programs for graduates, rural migrants, and unemployed individuals. These initiatives prepare workers for specialized roles in energy infrastructure inspection, smart patrol services, and agricultural spraying.
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