Sri Lanka is set to take an initial step towards introducing an autonomous passenger drone transport service, with its first official trial scheduled to take place today (11) at the Colombo Port City premises.

The trial will involve electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger aircraft manufactured by Chinese company EHang.

The aircraft, which can take off and land vertically without requiring a runway, are being considered for use in passenger transportation, tourism and emergency services.

A special discussion on introducing the technology in Sri Lanka was held at the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation in August.

Accordingly, the project is initially planned as a pilot initiative rather than a commercial operation, with trial runs expected to be conducted at Colombo Port City over a period of approximately six months.

An EHang E216 passenger drone, capable of carrying two passengers, was recently imported to Sri Lanka for the project.

The aircraft is equipped with 16 propellers, 12 battery packs and three flight control systems, and is operated through a computer-based control system.

It can also be remotely operated from a central control station. In the event of an emergency or communication failure, the aircraft is reportedly capable of automatically activating safety procedures.

The implementation of the project will require coordination among several government institutions, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Defence and the Sri Lanka Air Force.

The proposed passenger drone service is also expected to create new opportunities for aerial transportation of tourists to destinations such as Sigiriya, Pidurangala and various island-based tourist attractions in the future.