Estonia urged to follow Asia's lead on low-altitude drone economy
A commentary published by ERR News argues Asian countries are actively building a low-altitude drone economy and that Estonia should focus on digital services for safe drone flight rather than drone manufacturing. The author proposes creating two or three permanent drone corridors as a first step.
In a commentary published by ERR News, author Evelin Kasenõmm examines how China, Japan and South Korea are developing what is called the low-altitude economy — business and public services operating in low airspace using drones, air taxis, and supporting infrastructure.
Asia's approach
China has turned drones into a national economic policy area. By the end of 2025 the country had nearly 3.3 million registered drones, 51 percent more than a year earlier, with low-altitude traffic service stations already operating in 23 provinces. In Japan, an aging population, labor shortages and difficult mountainous terrain are driving drone adoption — a 2022 framework allows compliant drones to fly beyond the pilot's line of sight, and the country is now building a national drone corridor system. South Korea has been testing municipal drone delivery and rescue services since 2019; in 2025, 26 municipalities took part, and delivery services already operate in 166 areas.
Europe's position
The author notes that the European Union has built one of the world's most comprehensive drone regulatory frameworks, including the U-space digital traffic management system in force since 2023. However, decision-making at the member-state level makes implementation slow and fragmented, leaving Europe with many pilot projects but fewer everyday services.
Opportunities for Estonia
According to the author, there is little point for Estonia to compete with Asian countries on drone manufacturing volume, but it holds advantages in spatial data, digital public services and a relatively compact airspace. Practical use cases she cites include delivering medicines to islands and inspecting power lines and coastlines. A first step, she suggests, could be creating two or three permanent drone corridors — for logistics between islands and the mainland, for energy infrastructure inspection, and for coastal or forest monitoring. Alongside this, she argues the public sector should create demand through multi-year contracts, such as for detecting power line faults or transporting medical samples.
