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

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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 secured the world's first full regulatory approvals from the CAAC for human-carrying eVTOL operations, enabling aerial tourism with its self-flying EH216-S in Guangzhou and Hefei.
Despite significant investment, U.S. eVTOL manufacturers have not yet received FAA authorization for commercial passenger service, with 2025 launch targets for air taxis considered highly unlikely.
The U.S. and China have contrasting approaches: China's state-led strategy focuses on certifying self-flying eVTOLs first to build a "low-altitude economy," while the privately backed U.S. industry aims to introduce crewed eVTOLs by 2028.

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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.