China's electric aircraft completes piloted flight, can carry 19 passengers
What's the story
China's CE-25A electric commercial aircraft has successfully completed its first piloted flight, according to Xinhua. The aircraft, which is designed for short-distance travel, has a range of 400km and can carry up to 19 passengers. The maiden flight took place in Binzhou, Shandong province, with two pilots and a flight-test engineer on board.
Aircraft details
Specifications of the CE-25A
The CE-25A is a 10-tonne-class electric commercial aircraft primarily designed for intercity travel.
It has a maximum takeoff weight of 10 tons, cruising speed of 300km/h, cruising altitude of 2,400 meters, and a maximum range of 400km.
The aircraft uses an electric propulsion system instead of traditional jet engines.
Its specifications make it suitable for regional air connectivity on shorter distances where electric aviation is more feasible.
Flight performance
Maiden flight lasted nearly an hour
The maiden flight of the CE-25A lasted 57 minutes and 46 seconds, including an air time of 16 minutes and 38 seconds covering a distance of 60.4km. All performance indicators were met during this test.
The aircraft had previously completed its first unmanned autonomous flight on February 2, 2026, and has since completed a total of 19 such validations during development.
Development partners
Certification process for commercial use has begun
The CE-25A was developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in collaboration with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and other domestic partners.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China has accepted COMAC's application for a type certificate for the CE-25A under China's CCAR-25 airworthiness regulations.
This acceptance marks the start of a formal certification process that must be completed before commercial service can begin.