China’s civil aviation authority has given the green light for urban air mobility firm EHang to begin low-altitude commercial operations of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Many companies around the world working on eVTOL solutions are struggling to get past the testing stages into operation because of stringent regulations and safety rules.
China could end up dominating the market as the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is considered “quite supportive” of the industry.
Earlier last year, China-based AutoFlight obtained type certification from the CAAC for its eVTOL aircraft.
Now the CAAC has allowed EHang to begin low-altitude commercial operations of its EH216-S eVTOL.
This milestone signals the start of paid human-carrying flight. Customers will be able to purchase tickets for low-altitude tourism, urban sightseeing and other flight services at vertiports located in Guangzhou and Hefei.
However, the certifications limit the operations to taking off and landing at the same location, so hops between different vertiports are not possible for now.
EHang said that operators would gradually expand into other scenarios such as urban commuting based on legal and compliance conditions.
The EH216-S eVTOL has been in development for at least six years. In that time it has achieved a number of historical certification milestones, including the world’s first type certificate, production certificate, standard airworthiness certificate and air operator certificate for pilotless human-carrying eVTOL aircraft.
It has now achieved the full suite of regulatory certifications, marking a significant step toward the commercialisation and mass adoption of low-altitude air taxis.
EH216-S has a maximum speed of 130 km/h, a cruise speed of 100 km/h, can reach an altitude of 3,000 metres, and its onboard batteries offer a per-charge range of 35km or a 21-minute flight time. Payload capacity is reported to be 220kg.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the government announced yesterday (1 April) that it has pledged £20m to help commercial drone services and ‘flying taxis’ take off.
UK aviation minister Mike Kane said that the funding aimed to break down regulatory barriers, enhance public services and propel the country toward a greener, more efficient future in air mobility.
Kane said: “I want the UK to have the most advanced aviation technology ecosystem in the world. That means creating a nimble regulatory environment and a culture of innovation so everyone can benefit from cutting-edge transport while tackling emissions, traffic and potentially saving lives.”
The Department for Transport, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the new Regulatory Innovation Office will work together to modernise regulatory processes.
Kane claimed that the regulations “could see air taxis in use from 2028”.
Vertical Aerospace, a Bristol-based company pioneering flying taxis in the UK, is undergoing the CAA authorisation process at the UK’s first vertiport testbed.