EHang launches eVTOL fast-track program with Sri Lanka as first market

EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) announced the launch of its Global Fast Track Program, a structured pathway for introducing pilotless electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operations in international markets. Sri Lanka is the first country to adopt the program, with the country's Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation and the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) targeting sandbox commercialization within four months, subject to completion of regulatory, technical, operational, and safety assessments.

The program consists of four phases: regulatory framework alignment, sandbox build-out, validation flights, and commercial launch. EHang said the framework is intended to compress certification and commercialization timelines from years to months by drawing on the company's existing certifications and operational experience in China, as well as flight records across 23 countries.

Initial operations in Sri Lanka are planned for a sandbox zone centered on Port City in Colombo. Routes under consideration include scenic flights over the Sigiriya rock fortress and shuttle services connecting Katunayake Airport to hotels in central Colombo. Unmanned maritime cargo logistics applications are also being explored.

Capt. Daminda Rambukwella, Director General and CEO of CAASL, said the four-month target "reflects the proposed implementation timeline and remains subject to the successful completion of the required regulatory, technical, operational, and safety assessments and approvals."

EHang Founder, Chairman, and CEO Hu Huazhi stated the company is "in active dialogue with civil aviation authorities in several other markets" beyond Sri Lanka.

EHang's flagship EH216-S aircraft holds type, production, and standard airworthiness certificates issued by China's Civil Aviation Administration, described by the company as the first such certifications for a pilotless eVTOL globally.

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