This is a first in China, and in the world: EH216-S, a small electric aircraft without pilot signed Ehang, received an official operating certificate. In other words, the device is now authorized to transport human passengers without anyone holding the handle on board. Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has given its green light, but only for well -supervised flights.
First flights for curious tourists
Concretely, the first passengers will be entitled to a short trip to the air, in Guangzhou and Hefei, on fixed routes, in a loop. No flying taxi Uber Air for the moment, just tourist flights from 3 to 10 minutes. No need for a helmet or parachute, says Ehang. “” It will be like taking the car Summarizes He Tianxing, vice-president of the company.
The machine in question, the EH216-S, is an electric two-seater equipped with 16 propellers. It can reach 130 km/h and cover up to 30 kilometers. It flies on its own, with a predefined flight plan, and it is followed remotely by a control center which can intervene in the event of a glitch. The device has Lidar sensors to avoid obstacles and adapt to live weather conditions.
Even if Ehang is one step ahead of the other players in the sector, daily trips in flying taxi are not for tomorrow. According to He Tianxing, it will be necessary to wait another three to five years before seeing regular services, especially for home-work trips. You will first have to obtain new authorizations to get out of the tourist setting.
In the meantime, Ehang plans to extend its tourist flights to other cities like Shenzhen, Wenzhou or Wuhan. The Chinese company also hopes to export abroad: since the announcement of the certification, it says that it has received calls from several international partners.
China grows strongly behind these projects, as part of what it calls “the economy of low altitude” – airspace under the 1,000 meters. Objective: boost an entire ecosystem that goes from delivery drones to air sports, including flying taxis. According to a report by the Hurun group, this market could weigh more than $ 200 billion as early as next year.
But competition is not far away. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, American start-ups Joby and Archer also want to fly their air taxis this year, with a driver on board. The big names in aeronautics like Airbus, Boeing or Embraer also have projects in the boxes. In short, the sky opens for these vehicles of the future. But to take them as a simple VTC, you will have to wait a little longer.
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