China's 19-seat electric passenger plane completes maiden piloted flight

China has successfully flown a 19-seat electric passenger aircraft for the first time, marking a major step towards bringing battery-powered planes into commercial aviation.The 10-tonne CE-25A, capable of cruising at 300 kmph, completed its maiden piloted flight on November 14 in Shandong province, with three crew members onboard.Developed by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the aircraft is designed to carry passengers over distances of up to 400 km. According to Xinhua News Agency, citing COMAC, the aircraft operated normally during the test, with all performance indicators meeting expectations.

The flight test lasted 57 minutes and 46 seconds, although the aircraft spent 16 minutes and 38 seconds airborne, covering a distance of 60.4 km, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV.The aircraft carried two pilots and a flight-test engineer. The test followed its first unmanned autonomous flight on February 2, 2026, and 19 unmanned flight-validation exercises conducted as part of the development programme.

Unlike conventional passenger aircraft that rely on fuel-powered jet engines or turboprop engines, the CE-25A uses a distributed electric ducted-fan propulsion system.Multiple electric fans mounted along its wings generate the thrust needed to propel the aircraft. These fans are powered by electric motors, which draw energy from the aircraft's battery system.The distributed arrangement spreads propulsion across the wings rather than concentrating it in conventional engine installations.

This allows engineers to explore different aerodynamic and propulsion configurations for electric aircraft.However, its actual efficiency and performance advantages will need to be established through further testing.About the CE-25A

Developed by COMAC in collaboration with Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and other partners, the CE-25A is designed for short-distance regional passenger transport.The programme brings together aircraft manufacturing, battery technology and academic research to develop a larger electric commercial aircraft.Its key specifications include a maximum takeoff weight of 10 tonnes, a passenger capacity of 19, a cruising speed of 300 kmph, a cruising altitude of 2,400 metres and a stated range of 400 km, according to Xinhua.The aircraft is being developed under China's CCAR-25 transport-category airworthiness regulations. Xinhua has also reported that the Civil Aviation Administration of China has accepted its application for a type certificate, an important step towards eventual commercial operations.The CE-25A's development marks an important step in China's efforts to move electric aviation beyond smaller experimental aircraft towards commercial passenger transport.