A delegation from EHang Intelligent visited the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation today to brief the Hon. Minister and Deputy Minister on the company’s preparations to establish electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) sandbox operations in Sri Lanka.

The delegation comprised Mr. Conor Yang, Chief Financial Officer of EHang; Ms. Xiao Na Lee, General Manager – Operations; Mr. Hu Along, Vice President – Guangzhou, and members of EHang’s operations and technical teams.

During the meeting, the delegation presented EHang’s proposed approach to establishing and developing its operations in Sri Lanka, including a phased implementation framework for the proposed eVTOL sandbox. Discussions also focused on the regulatory, operational, safety and technical requirements that would need to be addressed to facilitate the safe and structured introduction of eVTOL operations.

Following the meeting, the delegation visited the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL), where they held further discussions with the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Daminda Rambukwella, and senior CAASL officials on the proposed eVTOL sandbox. The discussions focused on the regulatory and practical pathways for implementing the proposed sandbox operations in Sri Lanka, including the applicable regulatory framework, operational requirements, safety considerations and technical assessments.

It was agreed that the technical engagement will continue over the next two days with the relevant CAASL inspectors to further examine the requirements and procedures necessary for the potential implementation of the proposed eVTOL sandbox.

The discussions mark an important step in Sri Lanka’s efforts to explore the safe, structured and forward-looking introduction of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and eVTOL technologies, while ensuring that any potential operations are developed in accordance with applicable aviation regulatory, operational and safety requirements.

The proposed sandbox approach is expected to provide a structured environment to assess eVTOL technologies, operational concepts and regulatory requirements, while supporting Sri Lanka’s efforts to remain aligned with the evolving global aviation landscape.