EHang of China Completes First Autonomous Passenger-Carrying Flight in Sri Lanka

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 11, China's EHang completed Sri Lanka's first demonstration flight of an autonomous passenger-carrying electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the capital, Colombo, using the EH216-S aircraft to conduct a passenger-carrying flight along the Colombo coastline. Sri Lanka's Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka, Deputy Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodituwakku, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation and other officials boarded the aircraft for the experience. This flight also marked the first passenger-carrying flight by an EHang autonomous passenger-carrying aircraft in South Asia.

The EH216-S used in this demonstration is a two-seat autonomous eVTOL aircraft that requires no onboard pilot and can perform flight missions via a remote control system. The flight event was organized by Sri Lanka's Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation, with representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka and relevant government departments participating. The Minister, Deputy Minister, and Ministry Secretary successively completed flights along the coastal route aboard the aircraft, and a first-flight commemorative event was also held on site.

This flight marks the point at which EHang's global rapid advancement program entered the practical flight verification phase in Sri Lanka. In August 2026, Sri Lanka became the first country to adopt the program, with the two sides previously focusing on the regulatory framework, technical requirements, and implementation conditions for autonomous aircraft operations. Following the completion of this passenger-carrying demonstration, the cooperation has entered the flight verification phase.

In the next phase, EHang and its local partners will conduct further flight tests and operational assessments with Sri Lankan civil aviation regulators, collecting aircraft performance and safe operation data to provide a basis for subsequent regulatory review and operating permits. Potential application areas previously proposed by the Sri Lankan side include tourism sightseeing, air taxis, search and rescue, and emergency supplies transport.

As of this flight, EHang disclosed that its EH216 series aircraft have cumulatively completed nearly 100,000 flights, and Sri Lanka has become the 24th country in which the series has conducted flight activities.