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EH216-S completes its first public flight in Hong Kong under the government's regulatory sandbox
EHang flew its pilotless two-seat EH216-S publicly for the first time in Hong Kong on 28 August 2026, from a waterfront vertiport at Cyberport, as part of the government's low-altitude 'Regulatory Sandbox' trial, with more flights through 30 August. The sandbox collects real operating data to help Hong Kong write rules for aircraft without pilots.
- The aircraft took off and landed vertically, cruised at low altitude and hovered on pre-programmed autonomous routes; no passengers were reported aboard.
- Validation flights under the sandbox began in mid-August, before the public demonstrations.
- Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong said Hong Kong is studying dedicated legislation for such aircraft, with drafting targeted for 2027.
- Until those rules exist, flights stay inside the trial; there is no commercial service in Hong Kong yet.