No traffic jams, no taxi hassles, no crowded subways: two drone taxi firms just got the green light to launch in China.

What a sensational step into the high-tech future: China has officially approved autonomous air taxis for commercial use. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has awarded air operator certificates to EHang Holdings and Hefei Hey Airlines. This allows the companies to use passenger drones for city tours, reports the South China Morning Post.

The approval came after the companies met all the necessary regulatory requirements, including type certification, production certification and airworthiness certification, according to the analyst firm Citic Securities. “We expect low-altitude tourism to be the beginning of this new business,” Citic Securities said, adding that EHang’s sightseeing flights could drive the industry.

Beijing is actively promoting the development of this economic segment, which includes innovations such as delivery drones, airships and flying cars. The Chinese government sees this area as a key growth driver, comparable to biotechnology, quantum computing, artificial intelligence and 6G networks. “The low-altitude economy is a new growth engine and will be an important driver for the high-speed development of the Chinese economy,” said Cheng Bolin, vice president of the low-altitude aviation division at the China Information Association.

Up to 100 km/h fast
EHang became the first company in the world to receive a production license for autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in April 2024, LiveScience reports. Unveiled in 2018, the EH216-S is a fully electric, autonomously flying two-seater taxi with 16 propellers and a carbon fiber fuselage. It has a cruising speed of 100 km/h and a maximum flight altitude of 3000 meters.

EHang plans to use the EH216-S for: air taxis, tourist flights, airport shuttles and island connections.
According to Hurun Research Group, the low-altitude economy market in China is expected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan (190 billion euros) by 2025 – with a predicted increase to 2.5 trillion yuan by 2035.

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