Cheng Tingting, a student from Inner Mongolia Normal University (IMNU) operates a drone at the university. [Photo/imnu.edu.cn]

A girl from Inner Mongolia Normal University (IMNU) recently received the certification granted by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of China (AOPA-China), making her the first licensed drone pilot in Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Supervised by China's civil aviation regulator Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), AOPA-China is a not-for-profit national general aviation organization.

Feng Tingting, a sophomore at IMNU, received training for the drone certificate a month ago.

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, have been used in agriculture, media, wedding photography and disaster relief.

“As a student majoring in culture industry management, I think that drones can be widely used in filming, ” said Feng, adding that drones can make aerial photography and filmmaking more accessible.

The rapid growth of the artificial intelligence industry drives the development of the drone industry in China. 

Figures show that there are only 30,000 certified drone pilots in the country and the shortage of drone pilots on the market is estimated at 200,000.

Concerned about the booming demand for skilled drone pilots, Feng revealed that she plans to open a workshop to provide training on operating drones and promoting their wider civil use.

She said that she will also work to integrate drone use into the media industry.

In 2017, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued a document to guide the development of civilian drones in the country. By 2020, the output of the drone industry is expected to reach 60 billion yuan ($8.78 billion), with an increase of more than 40 percent year-on-year, according to the guide.

Students at IMNU prepare for the flying of a drone. [Photo/imnu.edu.cn]