EHang’s EH216‑S Completes First Public Flight in Hong Kong
EHang’s pilotless EH216‑S eVTOL aircraft has completed its first public flight in Hong Kong, as the city continues testing low-altitude aviation under a government-backed regulatory sandbox.
The flight took place at Hong Kong Cyberport on August 28, following the start of validation flights earlier in August under the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s “Regulatory Sandbox X” project. The initiative is intended to test more complex low-altitude applications and generate operational data that can help inform future regulations.
During the demonstration, the EH216‑S took off from a waterfront vertiport and carried out vertical take-off and landing, hovering and low-altitude cruising along pre-programmed routes. EHang said further public flight sessions were scheduled through August 30 to assess the aircraft’s reliability and safety in higher-frequency operating scenarios.
The project is being conducted with Kwoon Chung Smart Mobility and Hong Kong Cyberport Management. Its scope extends beyond flight testing to include the development of operating procedures and infrastructure, with the longer-term objective of assessing whether pilotless eVTOL services could form part of Hong Kong’s transport network.
Regulatory development is a central part of the project. Hong Kong officials said the government is studying dedicated legislation for non-conventional aircraft, with drafting targeted for completion in 2027. The city is also using Regulatory Sandbox X to gather experience from multiple pilot projects before establishing more permanent rules.
EHang said the Hong Kong testing programme could provide a model for markets that do not yet have regulatory frameworks for pilotless passenger aircraft. The company’s EH216‑S has already received a Type Certificate, Production Certificate and Standard Airworthiness Certificate from China’s Civil Aviation Administration.
