China to Launch World's First Flying Taxi as EHang Seeks Air Operator License

By Thea Felicity

Jul 23 2024, 11:24 AM EDT

A view from a flying Air Taxi EHANG 216 during a press preview of FACC AG on "Urban Air Mobility" at Generali Arena in Vienna, Austria on April 4, 2019. China's EHANG and Austrian FACC AG plan to produce 300 Taxi drones by 2020. JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images

Chinese flying taxi company EHang has taken the final step toward launching its commercial air mobility services as the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has begun reviewing the firm's application for an air operator certificate, according to SCMP.

If approved, EHang is set to become a leader in the urban air mobility sector, which nowincludes both manned and unmanned eVTOL aircraft operating below 1,000 meters. Based in Guangzhou, the company and China will be closer to achieving its goal of operating unmanned passenger-carrying aerial vehicles in the domestic market.

EHang's founder and CEO Hu Huazhi emphasized the importance of this regulatory development as the acceptance of EHang's operator certificate application represents the final hurdle before the company's flying taxis can enter the consumer market.

First Flying Taxi by China

The CAAC's review process is expected to be thorough, given that this will be the world's first application for such a certificate for pilotless aerial vehicles.

EHang is collaborating closely with the CAAC to set up a new operating system for these vehicles, which could have wide-reaching implications for the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) industry.

Earlier this year, EHang reported that CAAC granted its EH216-S the first production certificate for a passenger-transport eVTOL aircraft in China. The EH216-S had also received type and standard airworthiness certificates last year, essential for commercial operations.

In March, EHang listed its EH216-S on Alibaba's Taobao platform at a price of 2.39 million yuan (US$332,000), with plans to sell it internationally for US$410,000.

The EH216-S is designed with autonomous flight capabilities, fully electric propulsion, and advanced safety features, positioning it as a versatile solution for air taxis, aerial tourism, airport shuttles, and cross-island transport.