South Korea Responding to Rising Drone Operator Demand

South Korea Responding to Rising Drone Operator Demand

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South Korea is planning to train 1,700 drone operators a year to meet the growing demand in the commercial drone industry, the transport ministry announced recently.

According to the report on y.na.co.kr, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement, the country will add four official centers which will focus on training drone operators in the coming weeks, thus bringing the total to 11,

“We’ve been increasing training facilities for potential drone operators during the last few years and continue to do so because the demand for drones in the retail and logistics industries is expected to grow sharply in the coming decade,” a ministry official said.

Just a few years ago, the thought of delivering packages by unmanned aircrafts was viewed as little more than a dream.

But today, many expect a future where drones fill the streets and skies. Globally, companies such as online retailer Amazon.com Inc. and delivery company UPS, have tested their drone delivery systems as they see big growth potential in the drone-based delivery services.

South Korea is still at an initial stage in drone delivery development as according to the statement, the country had 1,536 drone operators as of the end of February.

Theatlantic.com reported last January that

The role of a drone operator has become a demanded job all over the world. A report published by AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International) already in 2013 projected more than 100,000 new jobs in unmanned aircraft in the US by 2025.