‘Drone pilot’ becomes official profession in China as industrial demand for flights soars

China has added “drone pilot” to a list of nearly 19,000 official professions in the country. The move comes as the value of China’s drone-related services market was expected to grow to more than US$2 billion by 2020, with the devices increasingly used by industries ranging from agriculture to entertainment. The decision to add drone pilots to the list was also expected to lead to more regulation of the profession.