China’s independently developed 10-tonne electric commercial aircraft, the CE-25A, completed its maiden piloted flight on Saturday in Binzhou, in eastern China’s Shandong Province, marking a milestone in the development of the country’s electric aviation programme, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).
The aircraft carried two pilots and one flight-test engineer during the flight. COMAC said the aircraft operated normally throughout the test, with all performance indicators meeting expectations. The company did not provide further details about the flight duration or the specific tests conducted.
Designed primarily for intercity commercial transportation, the CE-25A has a passenger capacity of 19 and a maximum take-off weight of 10 tonnes. Its stated technical specifications include a cruising speed of 300 kilometres per hour, a cruising altitude of 2,400 metres and a maximum range of 400 kilometres.
The aircraft’s maiden piloted flight represents an important stage in its flight-testing programme, as its performance is assessed under actual operating conditions with a crew on board.
