China Approves Passenger Operations With Self-Flying Electric Aircraft

In a major development for the industry, eVTOL manufacturer EHang on Sunday said the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) awarded air operator certificates to its subsidiaries EHang General Aviation in Guangzhou and HeYi Aviation in Hefei. The initial approvals authorize the world’s first human-carrying operations with an electric, self-flying aircraft: EHang’s EH216-S. Customers in Guangzhou and Hefei can now buy tickets for aerial tourism, sightseeing, and experiential flights.

EHang said the air operator certifications give it the “full suite” of regulatory approvals needed to run an eVTOL air taxi business. The company earned the world's first eVTOL type certificate from CAAC in 2023 and subsequently secured production and airworthiness approvals. CAAC earlier this year also approved a 4-seat electric aircraft for commercial service.

In the U.S., flight schools are using Pipistrel’s Velis Electro, and a handful of customers have gotten their hands on Pivotal’s BlackFly, a personal eVTOL model. But no eVTOL design has been authorized by the FAA for commercial passenger service.

Early EH216-S operations will come with heavy limitations, which EHang said it aims to lift in phases.

For example, flights are restricted to Guangzhou and Hefei and must land where they lifted off. The firm said it is working with CAAC to enable flights between different locations and expand the number of hubs in its network. On Sunday, it shared images of operation centers in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Taiyuan, and other major cities.

The operator certificates also authorize “human-carrying” operations rather than the more permissive “passenger transport.” According to EHang, the latter services follow public routes, are regularly scheduled, cannot be arbitrarily cancelled, and sell tickets through public platforms. Human-carrying operators, by contrast, use private routes, offer nonscheduled trips, and sell tickets through their own dedicated channels.

In other words, the EH216-S is approved for applications like out-and-back aerial tourism but not air taxi services in cities. Ultimately, the goal is to bring the two-seater to urban areas to create what Chinese officials have termed the low-altitude economy.

“The human-carrying pilotless aviation and the low-altitude economy, as an emerging industry, is still in its developmental stage and remains a national strategic focus in China’s aviation sector,” EHang said in a news release. “There are still many challenges to be addressed and improvements to be made, requiring industry-wide collaborations.”

China’s vision for the low-altitude economy resembles the FAA’s Innovate28 plan to introduce eVTOL air taxis and other new designs at scale in the U.S. by 2028, with a few key distinctions.

For one, China has elected to certify self-flying models, such as the EH216-S and AutoFlight’s Prosperity, before turning to crewed operations. Chinese manufacturers have also benefitted from the country’s state-led approach, with financial support and incentives from government at all levels.

By contrast, the FAA is set to introduce crewed eVTOLs before certifying self-flying designs like Boeing-owned Wisk Aero’s Generation 6. The U.S. industry is largely privately backed, with developers such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation garnering billions of dollars in investments. The U.S. Department of Defense—through its innovation arm AFWERX—has funded some development and testing of eVTOL models, though not nearly at the scale of the Chinese government.

The U.S. military will likely be the first to get its hands on an eVTOL designed for commercial passenger service. Archer, for instance, recently launched a defense business and is teaming with Anduril and Palantir to develop what it describes as a “next generation” aircraft for the DOD.

Routine eVTOL air taxi services, though, are waiting on FAA certification and the development of infrastructure such as vertiports and charging stations. SMG Consulting’s AAM Reality Index—which tracks manufacturers’ progress toward scaled production—rates Archer and Joby’s chances of meeting their 2025 commercial launch targets as “highly unlikely.”

Like this story? We think you'll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.