BEIJING, June 13 -- Some 45,000 civilian drones have been registered under real names since a new rule was introduced to improve civil aviation safety, an official said Tuesday.

On June 1, China required civilian drones weighing more than 250 grams to be registered under real names after some cases of civilian drones posing a threat to civil aviation safety.

Drone owners must register before August 31.

The registration process has gained support from manufacturers and users, according to Wang Jingling, an official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

In late April, four drones flew illegally over Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province. They obliged 58 flights to land at alternative airports, four to return, and many more to be canceled.

The overall market of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, is expected to reach 75 billion yuan (around 11 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025 in China, according to an iResearch report last year.

The report predicted that aerial photography by drone will generate 30 billion yuan alone. The revenue from drones in agriculture, forestry, power inspections and security is expected to be about 40 billion yuan.