China’s indigenously developed 10-tonne all-electric passenger aircraft, dubbed CE-25A, successfully completed its maiden crewed flight on Saturday, November 14, in the eastern province of Shandong.
The aircraft, carrying two pilots and a flight-test engineer, remained airborne for 16 minutes and 38 seconds, covering a distance of 60.4 kilometres.
Interestingly, the aircraft had already completed 19 autonomous flight tests before humans stepped inside its cockpit for a flight.
Developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in collaboration with battery manufacturing giant CATL and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the aircraft is designed to transport 19 passengers between cities.
Unlike conventional passenger planes, the CE-25A features 10 electrically powered ducted fans, five mounted on each wing.
The aircraft boasts a proposed range of 400 kilometres, a cruising speed of 300 kilometres per hour and a cruising altitude of 2,400 metres.
Its autonomous flight systems allow pilots to monitor operations and intervene whenever necessary.
The aircraft produces no direct carbon emissions during flight, potentially making short-distance air travel more environmentally friendly.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has accepted COMAC’s application for the aircraft’s type certification.
However, the manufacturer has yet to announce when passengers will be able to board the battery-powered aircraft for commercial flights.
