China’s Self-Flying Air Taxi Gets ‘World-First’ Commercial Approval For Skies

In a significant milestone for urban air mobility, EHang Holdings Limited, a leading technology platform company, has received official type certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for its self-flying air taxi.

Dubbed the EH216-S, the passenger-carrying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system is the first in the world to achieve this type of certification.

This not only demonstrates the company’s adherence to stringent safety standards and airworthiness requirements but also paves the way for the commercial operation of passenger-carrying UAVs.

Distinct from conventional aircraft, the UAV boasts specially developed technical architecture, configuration, performance, functionality, operational mode, and flight environment.

To ensure the type certification’s success, CAAC and EHang adopted a balanced approach that combined traditional aviation principles with innovation-centered thinking.

The air taxi underwent a series of tests during the validation process, including laboratory, ground, and flight trials conducted at various professional aviation laboratories and test sites nationwide.

These tests encompassed everything from material performance and structural strength to flight stability characteristics and electromagnetic compatibility.

The rigorous process involved over 500 specific test items, more than 40,000 test flights for adjustments, and formal conformity validation tests comprising 65 major categories and over 450 individual test items.

“Our self-developed EH216-S passenger-carrying UAV system has finally met high expectations to secure the first TC in the global eVTOL industry, marking a significant chapter in civil aviation history,” said founder Huazhi Hu.

“Embracing the TC as our springboard, we will launch commercial operations of the EH216-S unmanned eVTOLs, prioritizing safety above all.”

[via stupidDOPE and Nikkei Asia, images via EHang]