Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

China could be the first in the world to start regular flights on pilotless passenger drones

China could be the first in the world to start regular flights on pilotless passenger drones

Chinese startup Ehang says its autonomous passenger drones could soon be flying in the skies of China’s biggest cities, making the country one of the first in the world to roll out such a project.

Ehang announced a pilot project with the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, in which it plans to set up three or four regular flight routes for passengers to take, the company’s co-founder Derrick Xiong told CNBC on Wednesday.

That could take place either this year or in 2020, Xiong said.

If that happens, China would be the first country to carry out such a program where passengers are able to travel in autonomous flying vehicles. Other places like Dubai are also looking into it, carrying out tests, but have not announced programs that resemble Guangzhou’s.

Ehang is not the only company pushing forth autonomous drones. Both Airbus and Boeing have tested their own versions of this technology in the past two years, while German startup Lilium is another player in the game.

For many of these companies, their vision is a world full of flying taxis that are able to provide a new form of urban transport, particularly in areas where traffic is a problem.

Roadblocks ahead

Before such flying vehicles can take off, however, there are a number of challenges, from needing new infrastructure to regulatory concerns, to convincing passengers that the technology is safe.

For a start, Ehang will be working with the authorities in Guangzhou to build up infrastructure like landing and take off pads, according to Xiong. The company was recently picked by the Civil Aviation Administration of China as the country’s first company to start a pilot program for the development of autonomous passenger drones.

The startup is also working with Chinese regulators to develop an updated set of regulations to account for this new technology, as existing laws are lacking on this front.

“We are seeing so much positive changes in the past several years,” Xiong said. “When we started from … year 2016 ... nobody even know what is this all about. So earlier this year we have this official approval from China Civil Aviation Administration basically allowing us to have this pilot program … because we are ... working together ... to build up the standard.”

But Ehang will also need to convince consumers that the flights will be completely safe. It claims that it has conducted over 2,000 test flights inside and outside of China in various weather conditions, and is confident of the safety standards.

“So we are confident to say it’s safe because you know from the ... the original design of this aircraft, its safer than most traditional aircraft. Because we have 16 propellers, 16 motors and we have this super efficient safety power redundancy system, meaning even if you … lost the motors or even several motors you’re still fine,” Xiong said.

“Secondly, we have been working on this for many many years and we have … enough testing data … to prove this is a safe technology,” he said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×