China has allowed to transport people by air taxi. This is the first case in the world

China became the first country in the world to officially approved commercial passenger transportation using unmanned air taxis. The EHang startup, which developed the EH216-S flying car, received permission.

The prototype of this device took to the skies back in 2017. Since then, the company has conducted about 40 thousand test flights. During testing, not a single emergency situation occurred with people on board, the developers noted.

The EH216-S is an electric octocopter with a two-person capsule. Both seats are designed for passengers - no pilot is required on board. It takes off and lands vertically. One charge is only enough for 20 minutes of flight, so the device is not yet designed for long distances. But short trips can be carried out with the breeze - at speeds of up to 135 km/h.

The exact timing of the launch of air taxis in China has not yet been announced. EHang CEO Huazhi Hu only said that in a year the company plans to begin entering other markets. Then, in about five years, flying taxis could become commonplace in all major cities around the world, he concluded.