SHANGHAI -- China's independently developed 10-ton electric commercial aircraft CE-25A completed its maiden piloted flight on Saturday, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).
The aircraft carried two pilots and one flight-test engineer during the flight in Binzhou, East China's Shandong province. The aircraft operated normally, and all performance indicators met expectations, COMAC said.
The CE-25A is COMAC's first electric commercial aircraft. Designed mainly for intercity commercial flights, it can carry 19 passengers and has a maximum takeoff weight of 10 metric tons. It has a cruising speed of 300 km per hour, a cruising altitude of 2,400 meters and a range of 400 km.
The aircraft completed its first unmanned autonomous flight on Feb 2 this year.
Developed jointly by COMAC, Chinese battery maker CATL, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and other partners, the CE-25A has completed 19 unmanned autonomous flight validations.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China has accepted COMAC's application for a type certificate.
