China has made aviation history. On 13 October 2023, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) gave its official stamp of approval to the EHang EH216-S — making it the world’s first electric air taxi to receive a type certificate from a national aviation authority.
What is the EH216-S?
The EH216-S is made by Chinese company EHang. It is a small aircraft with no pilot on board. Two passengers sit inside a pod-shaped cabin, and the aircraft is controlled remotely from the ground. It has 16 rotors — small propellers arranged in eight pairs — that lift it straight up like a helicopter. It runs entirely on electricity, with no engine that burns fuel.
EHang has been testing the aircraft for several years. During that time, it completed more than 40,000 test flights and passed over 450 individual safety checks. The CAAC examined the aircraft’s design, performance, and reliability before giving its approval.
A type certificate (TC) is the official document that says an aircraft design meets all the safety requirements needed to carry passengers. Without one, an aircraft cannot operate commercially. The EH216-S is the first eVTOL — short for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft — to receive this document anywhere in the world.
What does this mean for the future?
The certification is seen as a major milestone for the air taxi industry. Many companies around the world are developing similar aircraft, including Joby Aviation in the United States and Lilium in Germany. The EH216-S approval shows that a major aviation regulator is willing to certify this type of aircraft — something that had been uncertain before October 2023.
EHang says the EH216-S will first be used for short tourist flights in China, carrying passengers on scenic routes over lakes and mountains. The company also plans to use it for medical transport, such as delivering organs for transplant.
At the time of certification, the EH216-S could travel about 30 kilometres on a single charge, with a top speed of 130 kilometres per hour. Each flight is managed by a ground operator who watches the aircraft on screens and can take control at any time.
The CAAC approval does not automatically allow the EH216-S to fly in other countries. Other aviation authorities, such as the FAA in the United States and EASA in Europe, have their own certification processes. However, the fact that one major regulator has approved the design gives the industry confidence that others may follow in time.
For passengers and aviation professionals, the EH216-S certification is a sign that the age of electric, pilotless air taxis is no longer a distant idea — for the first time, it is a reality.
Key vocabulary:
- type certificate (TC) – an official document issued by an aviation authority confirming that an aircraft design is safe to carry passengers; without it, commercial passenger operations are not permitted
- eVTOL – short for electric vertical take-off and landing; refers to aircraft that take off and land straight up and down, powered entirely by electric motors
- rotor – a set of spinning blades that produces lift; eVTOLs typically use many small rotors instead of a traditional engine
- certification – the formal process by which a regulator reviews and approves an aircraft design to confirm it meets all required safety standards
CEFR Level B1-B2 / ICAO Level 4-5