China completes first flight of electric passenger plane | Watch the footage

Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC has completed the first manned test flight of the CE-25A electric passenger plane. The battery-powered aircraft flew for about 16.5 minutes at low altitude and can carry 19 passengers over a range of 400 km. Chinese authorities have accepted the application for a type certificate, moving toward commercial licensing.

Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC has completed the first manned test flight of the CE-25A electric passenger plane. The flight took place in Binzhou, Shandong Province, with two pilots and a flight test engineer on board. The aircraft, weighing about ten tons and powered solely by batteries, stayed in the air for about 16.5 minutes and covered a distance of about 60 kilometers at low altitude. The key innovation is a distributed propulsion system with ducted electric fans above the wings, producing quiet thrust with zero emissions. The plane is designed for short regional flights, capable of carrying up to 19 passengers at a cruising speed of 300 km/h and a maximum range of 400 kilometers. The development is a collaboration between COMAC, battery giant CATL, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. China's Civil Aviation Administration has accepted COMAC's application for a type certificate, a necessary step toward commercial licensing. The article notes that the path to full commercial deployment still requires additional certification tests and endurance checks under extreme conditions.