Sri Lanka’s passenger drone plans have moved from open-ended study to a named operator and a start date, with the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation saying trials of an autonomous air-taxi service are to begin next month.
Deputy Minister Ruwan Kodithuwakku said the service will be operated in Sri Lanka by the Chinese manufacturer EHang, and that the pilot project is scheduled to start in September, NewsFirst reported.
In its first phase, the service would run from Colombo to points along the southern coastal belt, and from Katunayake to Port City Colombo. The drones would be controlled automatically from a central control room using artificial intelligence, the deputy minister said.
What the aircraft are
Ada Derana reported on Tuesday that a special discussion on the proposal was held at the ministry, chaired by Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka, with senior ministry and Civil Aviation Authority officials and EHang representatives taking part.
EHang presented details of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft that carry two passengers, fitted with 16 propulsion fans and designed to fly autonomously under AI control.
That two-seat figure is smaller than the six-passenger capacity the Civil Aviation Authority’s director general described when the authority first disclosed the pilot project in July. At that stage no operator, timeline or routes had been announced.
Approvals still outstanding
The two accounts differ in how close the service is to flying. Minister Karunathilaka stressed that commercial operations can only begin once approvals are obtained across aviation safety, regulatory requirements, air traffic management, emergency procedures, cybersecurity, data protection and designated landing sites.
The ministry’s own statement, as carried by Ada Derana, describes the country as “exploring the possibility” of the service rather than committing to it — a more guarded framing than the deputy minister’s September start date.
Officials also discussed operating at major tourist sites including Sigiriya, Pidurangala, Colombo and Port City Colombo, and considered establishing a demonstration zone inside Port City to test and showcase the aircraft. Beyond tourism, both accounts cite emergency disaster response and maritime operations as intended uses.
EHang is the first eVTOL manufacturer to receive a type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Passenger-drone deployment remains at trial stage in most jurisdictions, with airworthiness certification and air-traffic integration among the hurdles regulators are still working through.
