Young Chinese people seek opportunity as low-altitude economy takes off

LANZHOU, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- At a training center in Baiyin, a city in northwest China's Gansu Province, Li Yanrong intently watches a computer screen as he guides a virtual drone through takeoff, hovering, cruising and landing, all under the careful supervision of his instructor.

The sophomore at a local vocational mining college has invested 8,000 yuan (about 1,140 U.S. dollars) of his savings into a professional drone pilot course. He is working to earn a pilot license for medium-size BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drones, which will enable him to operate larger drones over longer distances and enhance his chances of securing higher-paying work.

"Once I master drone operations, I can take on tasks like agricultural spraying or smart patrol inspection," Li said. "It will give me better job prospects."

Li is among a growing number of young Chinese people seeking opportunities in the country's rapidly expanding low-altitude economy -- a sector that covers drones, electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and related services operating below conventional airspace altitudes.

His instructor, Wei Cunxin, previously worked for the country's largest drone manufacturer in the southern Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen. In early 2025, Wei returned to his hometown of Baiyin to start his own drone business.

"The sky is no longer the private domain of a few. It is becoming a stage that everyone can share," 26-year-old Wei told Xinhua.

Wei's company now employs 10 people, all under the age of 30. It provides pilot training certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and offers services such as energy infrastructure inspection, land survey, agricultural spraying and aerial photography. 

Shang Hongbo, a 22-year-old employee from the nearby city of Qingyang, expressed optimism about the sector's growth prospects.

A university graduate majoring in drone application technologies, Shang said that experienced pilots engaged in crop protection can earn more than 8,000 yuan for a full day and night of work.

The local government is taking steps to ensure skills training keeps pace with the industry's growth. In 2025, authorities in Baiyin partnered with training institutions to launch free drone training programs for unemployed people, rural migrants and recent college graduates.

"We provide a one-stop service that also recommends jobs for trainees," said Gao Minqiang, a district human resources and social security bureau official, noting that three training sessions have attracted more than 100 participants.

Among these trainees is Wu Xuejiao, 34, who said the program has helped her master drone operations and learn about applications in agriculture, logistics and inspections.

"It feels like I've gained another skill to make a living," she said.

Drones are becoming an increasingly common sight across Gansu. In rural areas, they fly low over fields to spray crops. In cities, police use them for traffic monitoring. They are also deployed for patrol inspections, surveys and aerial photography.

China's low-altitude economy has gained significant momentum since it was identified as a new growth driver in the 2024 government work report.

The CAAC has projected that China's low-altitude economy reached a market scale of 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025 and will climb to 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035.

Since 2024, many regions have rolled out policies to promote the sector, with development focuses ranging from drone manufacturing to applications in logistics, agriculture and passenger transport.

Differentiated regional development policies will help shape the industry's development pattern nationwide, and the sector's outlook is increasingly promising, said Zhu Qiantao, a professor at Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics.  ■