China Approves Passenger Operations With Self-Flying Electric Aircraft

Paying customers can now take EHang’s EH216-S for a spin, marking a new phase in China’s low-altitude economy.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, April 01, 2025 at 03:31 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Jack Daleo

Customers in the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Hefei can purchase tickets for a tourism or sightseeing flight in EHang’s self-flying EH216-S. [Courtesy: EHang]

Key Takeaways:

China's EHang has achieved a global first by securing all necessary regulatory approvals from the CAAC for its EH216-S eVTOL, enabling initial human-carrying commercial operations (e.g., aerial tourism) in Guangzhou and Hefei.
Despite billions in private investment, American eVTOL manufacturers are significantly behind, with no U.S. design yet authorized by the FAA for commercial passenger service, making 2025 launch targets "highly unlikely."
Key differences in national strategy include China's focus on certifying self-flying eVTOLs with substantial government support, while the U.S. prioritizes crewed operations and relies mainly on private sector funding.
Initial commercial eVTOL flights in China are restricted to "human-carrying operations" like out-and-back aerial tourism, with a phased plan to expand to full "passenger transport" and urban air taxi services.

See a mistake? Contact us.

A crop of American aircraft manufacturers has poured billions of dollars in venture capital into a design they believe will fundamentally change the way people move through cities: the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi. As soon as this year, the aircraft could begin flying passengers in cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. But the first eVTOL to carry paying customers will debut in China.

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.