🚁 Ever dreamed of flying to school or work? Well, in China, that dream is coming true! On March 28, China’s civil aviation authority gave the green light to the world’s first passenger drones. These amazing flying machines, called eVTOLs (that’s short for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft), can carry people through the sky without a pilot onboard!
What does this mean? Imagine hopping into a drone, pushing a button, and soaring above the traffic to your destination. Two companies, Guangdong EHang General Aviation and Hefei Heyi Aviation, received special certificates to start operating these passenger drones.
Their drone, the EH216-S, is the world’s first passenger-carrying autonomous eVTOL with all the important safety certifications. It has already completed over 60,000 safe flights! Now, people can buy tickets to ride these drones in cities like Guangzhou and Hefei.
What’s the low-altitude economy? It’s all about using the airspace below 1,000 meters (that’s about 3,280 feet) for cool things like drones and flying taxis. These can be used for rescuing people, taking awesome aerial photos, delivering packages, and now even carrying passengers!
China is focusing on this new way of travel and sees it as a big part of the future. Cities like Beijing and Shanghai are making plans to develop these high-tech industries. Who knows? Maybe one day soon, you could be flying over your city in a drone taxi! 🛸
Reference(s):
China issues first Operation Certificate for passenger eVTOLs
cgtn.com
