The People's Liberation Army has pledged to tighten controls on civilian drones and private aircraft, saying unapproved flights pose a severe threat to airlines and national security.

"We must impose more severe punishments on illegal or irregular flights and inflict much higher fines on unapproved operations," an unidentified officer of the Beijing Military Command's air force told PLA Daily, the military's flagship newspaper. "By doing so, we can effectively deter such acts."

He said that aerial vehicles that are small and fly at low altitudes and speeds, such as light sport aircraft and civilian drones, are becoming a major challenge to air traffic controllers. They are widely available on the market, are easy to carry and use, and are often flown without approval from the authorities, he said.