EHang’s EH216-S has cleared a major hurdle toward passenger air tourism in China: in March 2025, the company said two operators received the country’s first Air Operator Certificates for civil human-carrying pilotless aerial vehicles. That makes operator-led sightseeing flights more plausible, but it does not establish that regular routes or bookable tickets are now available.
What the EHang EH216-S is—and what it is not
The EH216-S is a passenger-carrying electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to fly without an onboard pilot. EHang describes tourism, urban sightseeing, and flight experiences as its initial uses. It is not a consumer drone or a vehicle a passenger can privately operate.
“Pilotless” describes the aircraft’s onboard crew arrangement; passenger flights remain tied to an authorized operator and the applicable aviation rules. The approvals discussed here were issued by China’s Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and should not be read as permission to carry passengers in other countries.
What the certificates mean
Aircraft certification and authorization to run passenger operations are separate steps. EHang announced the following sequence for the EH216-S:
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| Milestone | What it covers | Date and source |
|---|---|---|
| Type Certificate (TC) | Approval of the aircraft’s type design. | 2023; announced by EHang. EHang announcement. |
| Standard Airworthiness Certificate (AC) | Airworthiness certification for an individual aircraft conforming to the approved design. | December 21, 2023; announced by EHang, which also reported a certified aircraft delivery to a customer in Guangzhou. EHang announcement. |
| Production Certificate (PC) | Approval related to production under the applicable oversight. | April 7, 2024; announced by EHang. EHang announcement. |
| Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) | Authorization of operators to conduct the covered operations; these are not additional aircraft design certificates. | March 2025; EHang said the first batch was issued to two operators. EHang announcement. |
EHang called its aircraft approvals “world’s first” achievements. That wording is the company’s characterization; the cited company announcements do not independently establish the global comparison.
Which operators received certificates?
EHang identified the operators as its subsidiary Guangdong EHang General Aviation Co., Ltd. and joint-venture operator Hefei HeYi Aviation Co., Ltd. In its March 2025 announcement, the company said consumers could purchase tickets at related operation sites. That statement describes what the certificates enabled in EHang’s account; it does not establish a live booking page, a fare, or a regular public route.
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Can you book a pilotless EHang sightseeing flight?
Current ticket availability and route status are not established by the available dated evidence. The Associated Press reported on November 24, 2025, that EHang had not launched commercial routes at that point and described sightseeing as an intended initial service. That report is a snapshot from November 2025, not confirmation of the situation on October 8, 2026. Associated Press report.
Before treating a flight as bookable, check directly with the destination or operator for a current public listing. Confirm the operating location, route, fare, passenger conditions, weather limits, and cancellation policy; a certification announcement alone does not answer those practical questions.
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What the milestone says about air tourism
The AOCs are a meaningful regulatory and commercial-enabling step: an approved aircraft needs an authorized operator before passenger service can be offered. They do not, by themselves, show that a broad tourism market has arrived. EHang reported 216 EH216-series aircraft delivered in 2024 in its 2025 annual report, but that company-reported delivery count is not a count of sightseeing flights, paying passengers, or active routes. EHang investor materials.
The evidence supports a cautious reading: EHang has described tourism and sightseeing as the early use case, and the company says two operators received China’s first relevant certificates. The scale and present-day availability of public flights remain unestablished here.
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