EHang Holdings said on Friday it completed the first public flight of its pilotless electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Hong Kong, marking a milestone under the city’s regulatory sandbox program for low-altitude aviation.
The EH216-S aircraft executed vertical takeoff, low-altitude cruise, and hover maneuvers along pre-programmed routes at the Hong Kong Cyberport. Validation flights began in mid-August as part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Low-Altitude Economy Regulatory Sandbox X Trial Project, designed to test non-conventional aircraft operations ahead of formal regulatory changes.
EHang is scheduled to conduct multiple public flight sessions at Cyberport from Friday through Sunday to assess system reliability and safety under regular operational conditions. The company said the flights aim to validate performance metrics in a controlled yet real-world environment.
Hong Kong officials, including Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan, and Director-General of Civil Aviation Clara Wong, attended the event. Wong described the flight as an "important milestone in the development of Hong Kong's low-altitude economy."
The government has approved 33 pilot projects since the first half of the year, including four involving non-conventional aircraft. Authorities are drafting dedicated legislation for such aircraft, with completion targeted for 2027. The EH216-S holds Type, Production, and Standard Airworthiness Certificates from China’s Civil Aviation Administration, enabling its participation in the sandbox trials.
The Regulatory Sandbox X provides a controlled testing framework for gathering operational data to inform future regulatory frameworks. EHang’s commercialization partner, Kwoon Chung Smart Mobility, and Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company are also involved in preparing for broader deployment.
