EHang launches global fast-track program for air taxi certification

EHang, a Chinese manufacturer of autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, has announced a new initiative intended to help other countries move more quickly from evaluating its pilotless air taxi technology to introducing it into service. The company said the program could compress certification timelines from years to as little as four months in some cases.

EHang named Sri Lanka as the first participant in the effort, which it described as a validation-based pathway that draws on certifications already granted by China's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC) as well as its experience working with other aviation regulators. The company's EH216-S aircraft has previously received a type certificate, production certificate, and standard airworthiness certificate for pilotless, passenger-carrying operations from Chinese authorities.

The head of Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Authority said the four-month timeline is a proposed target rather than a guarantee, noting that implementation will depend on partners meeting regulatory, technical, operational, and safety requirements.

The announcement comes amid broader international efforts to harmonize approval processes for advanced air mobility aircraft. Earlier this year, the FAA and aviation regulators from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand signed an agreement aimed at aligning standards so that certification granted in one country could be more easily validated in another. Separately, the FAA has begun a multi-year pilot program in the United States allowing precertified advanced air mobility aircraft to be tested in real-world airport settings, with plans to expand the program to additional states over time.