China's Low-Altitude Economy Is a Gradual Path to eVTOL Air Taxi Services | Aviation International News

Regulations and Government

China's Low-Altitude Economy Builds Path for eVTOL Air Taxi Services

Front-runners like EHang are starting with sightseeing and logistics flights

AutoFlight Prosperity eVTOL aircraft — A pair of AutoFlight's Prosperity eVTOL aircraft last year conducted demonstration flights between Shenzhen and Zhuhai.

By Charles Alcock • Managing Editor

February 20, 2025

Commercial operations with eVTOL aircraft in China are expected to be based on applications such as logistics and sightseeing for several more years before early market entrants secure the Part 135 approvals they will need to launch air taxi services. According to Louis Liu, CEO of Beijing-based advanced air mobility group DAP Technologies, it will likely be 2028 before the air taxi business model is approved for Chinese cities. However, many of these are already implementing plans to exploit the so-called low-altitude economy by encouraging early adoption of eVTOL vehicles and drones.

The regulatory key to early use cases being advanced by Chinese eVTOL start-ups is the CCAR 92 regulation, specifically developed by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for autonomous aircraft operations. Liu told AIN that EHang, AutoFlight, and others may get operating certificates this year, allowing them to expand support for customers—including a new breed of operators being established by city governments.

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