Watch: First passenger drone takes maiden flight

Watch: First passenger drone takes maiden flight

Ever get sick of flying in a safe, large and incredibly well-tested plane?

Neither do we.

But hey, clearly some people are a little tired of comfortable travel, as the world’s first passenger drone has taken its maiden flight in China.

The Ehang 184 can carry one passenger weighing up to 100kgs and is powered entirely by electricity.

According to ABC News, Ehang – the company behind the drone – tested the drone more than 1,000 times before inviting the public to take a ride.

EHang chief executive officer Hu Huazhi said: “None of the traditional flying vehicles can achieve the goal of fully autonomous flying, so they are still far away from common people.

“But our successful flight today means the scenes that we used to only see in sci-fi movies are now very close to common people.”

The Ehang can fly for 23-minutes at sea level at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour.

As per the ABC, the drones cost roughly $US200,000 ($253,000)to $300,000 ($380,000).

EHang co-founder Derrick Xiong said: “[The drone can] help people to avoid the traffic on the ground, but also in other applications, we can always think about emergency rescue, or we can transport patients to the hospital, or we can do a tourism, you know, fly from one island to the other.”

The Ehang 184 may be on sale in the commercial market within the year.

Check out footage of the flight here:

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Latest News

  • Tour Operators

Contiki’s latest campaign inspires travellers to engage with the world around them

Contiki has partnered with creative agency We Are Social for its latest campaign, Switch on Social Travel which showcases a seven-day trip through Portugal and Spain. The campaign took 17 content creators from the US and Australia with a combined following of more than 20 million and encouraged them to disconnect from their platforms for the duration […]

  • Destinations

Tropical North Queensland action-packed events calendar for adventure enthusiasts

Sporting enthusiasts and adventure seekers are gearing up for an action-packed year in Tropical North Queensland, with a lineup of sports events and adrenaline-pumping experiences set to take centre stage in 2024. Leading the charge is the highly-anticipated return of the Crankworx World Tour ‘Paradise Edition’ to Cairns from 22-26 May 2024. The mountain biking […]

  • Travel Agents

Disney Days returns with Inside Out 2 showing in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland

Time is running out for agents to register their Expression of Interest to an exclusive screening of the much-anticipated Disney and Pixar film, Inside Out 2, hosted by Disney Destinations Australia/New Zealand team and partner United Airlines. Places are limited and applications must be in by 17 May. In addition to the screening of the […]

  • Cruise

Aranui Cruises slashes prices with No Single Supplement and Half Price offers

French Polynesian cargo cruise line Aranui Cruises is slashing thousands off its 2025 Austral and Marquesas Islands cruises with an autumn sale offering 50 per cent off the second guest in a twin share room and no single supplement for solo travellers. On sale until June 21, 2024, Aranui’s 12-day roundtrip voyage from Papeete to […]

  • Destinations

Raes on Wategos celebrates 30th birthday and guests get the presents

World famous luxury boutique hotel Raes on Wategos, in Byron Bay, has launched its 30th birthday celebrations with a Raes Indulgent Escape package. Available for all stays of two nights or more, from June to August, the curated package offers an invitation to indulge in a shared celebration of Raes 30th birthday, whilst revelling in […]