Sri Lanka to Launch South Asia's First Passenger Drone Service
Sri Lanka will launch South Asia's first passenger-carrying drone service in late October or early November using electric air taxis from EHang.
Daminda Rambukwella, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, announced that the country is preparing to launch South Asia's first passenger-carrying drone service. The inaugural flight is scheduled for October 30, 31, or the first week of November, departing from Colombo Port City. The first aircraft, a two-seater EHang drone imported from Thailand, has already arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport.
The government is finalizing local Advanced Air Mobility regulations and has completed regulatory processes based on United States certification standards. The Ministry of Defence will meet with officials on October 23 to determine the final destination of the first flight. The initiative intends to deploy electric air taxis for urban transport, tourism, cargo delivery, and emergency medical services.
Future expansion plans include importing a second aircraft on November 28 and introducing larger vehicles capable of carrying four to six passengers next year. These larger drones will operate shuttle services every 30 minutes over 20-kilometer distances using dedicated vertiports.
