🚁 Passenger Drone Trials Begin at Colombo Port City Ahead of 11 Nov Demo

• Key Highlights: Sri Lanka is exploring electric air transport with pilot test flights of two-passenger autonomous drones underway inside Colombo Port City. An official demonstration is scheduled for 11 November. • Technology & Partnership: The initiative is a pilot project conducted with Guangzhou, China-based EHang Holdings, specializing in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) battery-powered aircraft. • Sector Impact: According to the Defence Ministry, the trial targets improvements in urban air mobility alongside applications in tourism and logistics, offering prospective novel travel experiences for foreign and local tourists. • Regulatory Status: Discussions have been held with the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka. However, based on preliminary project data, no formal regulatory framework, operator, timeline for commercial rollout, or pilot costs have been officially announced.