The regulator said it expects that 90,000 people will be required to register as drone operators under the new rules.
The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), a trade union for UK pilots, said the new rules will help to improve airspace safety.
Dr Rob Hunter, BALPAs Head of Flight Safety, said it was "desperately needed to ensure a collision between an aircraft and a drone is avoided".
Last year pilots in British airspace reported 125 potentially serious incidents involving drones to the UK Airprox Board, rising from only six in 2014.
MPs have repeatedly raised concerns about potential drone threats at major events or malicious attacks such as the chaos at Gatwick airport last Christmas.
In March, it was made illegal to fly a drone within three miles of an airport, rather than the previous 0.6-mile (1km) exclusion zone.
Drone users who flout the height and airport boundary restrictions or fly negligently could face an unlimited fine, up to five years in prison, or both.
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Children who get a drone for Christmas will need to take theory test before flying it - The Telegraph
