China successfully completed the first test flight of its all-electric CE-25A commercial aircraft, developed by state-owned aerospace manufacturer COMAC, in Shandong Province on November 14.
The plane, intended for short-distance commercial flights between cities, can carry 19 passengers, travel up to 400 kilometers and cruise at a speed of 300 km/h, with a maximum take-off weight of 10 tons. The test flight lasted about 17 minutes, covered 60.4 kilometers, with all systems working as expected.
Developed in collaboration with battery manufacturer CATL and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the aircraft uses electric propulsion with a fan and has completed 19 previous unmanned test flights.