Electric aircraft completes first manned test flight

China has successfully completed the first manned test flight of its 10-tonne electric commercial aircraft, marking a significant milestone in the development of electric aviation.

The aircraft, named CE-25A, carried three people during the test flight conducted on Saturday in eastern China's Shandong Province.

According to Reuters, citing Chinese state media, the aircraft had two pilots and one flight test engineer on board. The flight proceeded normally, with all performance indicators reportedly meeting expectations.

The aircraft had previously completed its first unmanned test flight on February 2.

The CE-25A was jointly developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Designed for intercity transportation, the aircraft can carry up to 19 passengers and has a maximum take-off weight of 10 tonnes.

It has a reported cruising speed of up to 300 kilometres per hour and a range of approximately 400 kilometres on a single charge.

So far, the aircraft has completed 19 unmanned test flights.

China's civil aviation authorities have also accepted an application for the aircraft's design approval, marking another step towards its potential commercial operation.