China’s EHang Is ‘Fast Tracking’ Autonomous Air Taxis Globally

New program seeks to accelerate introduction of uncrewed passenger aircraft in other countries.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 10:30 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

EHang’s EH216-S is the first passenger-carrying, pilotless eVTOL aircraft to obtain standard airworthiness certification from a regulator. [Credit: EHang]

Key Takeaways:

EHang, a Chinese manufacturer of autonomous eVTOL air taxis, launched its "Global Fast Track Program" to accelerate the introduction of its fully certified EH216-S aircraft in other nations, starting with Sri Lanka, with a proposed four-month implementation timeline.
The program leverages EHang's existing type, production, and airworthiness certificates from the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) to allow foreign regulators to validate a pre-certified aircraft, aiming to compress regulatory timelines from years to months.
The U.S. is also actively pursuing global leadership in advanced air mobility (AAM) through initiatives like multinational agreements to harmonize eVTOL standards and domestic pilot programs, with officials framing this as a competition with China's rapid progress.
Despite U.S. efforts, EHang's EH216-S is the world's first fully certified pilotless passenger eVTOL, having conducted trial commercial operations in China, whereas the U.S. FAA has not yet certified any eVTOL aircraft.

See a mistake? Contact us.

A Chinese manufacturer of autonomous eVTOL air taxis wants to help other nations evolve the technology from evaluation to introduction in as little as four months.

EHang—whose EH216-S earned the world’s first type certificate, production certificate, and standard airworthiness certificate for pilotless, passenger-carrying electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft—on Wednesday launched its “Global Fast Track Program,” naming Sri Lanka as its inaugural member.