Recap: EHang EH216-S completes Central Asia's first pilotless human-carrying eVTOL flight in Kazakhstan
The primary source documents a pilotless, passenger-carrying eVTOL operating in new airspace under a recently established national regulatory framework, highlighting the growth of unmanned passenger-carrying operations and the airspace-integration and certification questions these aircraft raise in shared airspace.
Recap (source published 2026-08-10). EHang announced that its EH216-S completed Central Asia's first pilotless human-carrying eVTOL flights in Astana, Kazakhstan, during the Games of the Future 2026, carrying Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev and other guests. Kazakhstan established its initial national regulatory framework for eVTOL aircraft, vertiports, and unmanned aircraft traffic management in June 2026, and the EH216-S flew under it about two months later. Presidential Assistant Yesekeyev Kuanyshbek, Vice-Minister of Transport Lastayev Talgat Tleubekovich, and Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan CEO Michael E. Daniel witnessed the flights, and the Ministry of Transport said the first phase focuses on demonstration and tourist flights of 5-30 minutes. The 'Central Asia's first' characterization is EHang's own claim.