COMAC's 19-seat CE-25A electric demonstrator flies with a crew; claimed range is 400 km
COMAC's battery-electric CE-25A demonstrator made its first crewed flight in Binzhou after 19 uncrewed flights. China's regulator is now reviewing it for a type certificate.
COMAC's CE-25A, a 19-seat battery-electric commuter plane, flew with a crew for the first time on Saturday in Binzhou, Shandong, according to electrek.co. electrek.co
electrek.coelectrek.coOpen source ↗ Two pilots and a flight test engineer were aboard the demonstrator, which weighs roughly 10 tonnes. COMAC says every system worked normally.
It was not the aircraft's first flight. Since February 2 the CE-25A had completed 19 autonomous test flights with nobody on board. China's aviation regulator, the CAAC, is now reviewing the aircraft for a type certificate.
CE-25A design and certification
The CE-25A is a T-tail commuter plane with 10 electric ducted fans on the wings, five per side, instead of propellers. COMAC lists a cruise speed of 300 km/h and a range of 400 km (250 miles).
The CAAC's acceptance of the type certificate application starts the airworthiness review. It does not mean passenger service is near, and COMAC has not given a date for commercial operation. electrek.co
electrek.coelectrek.coOpen source ↗
The programme stayed quiet for a long time. COMAC showed a CE-25A model at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November 2023. Its placard listed a range of 400 to 500 km and a top cruise speed of 400 km/h. The full-size aircraft, registered B-0EFH, became public only when photos appeared on Chinese social media on October 28.
Batteries and other electric aircraft
In July 2023 COMAC, CATL and Shanghai Jiao Tong University formed a joint venture with CNY 600 million in registered capital to develop electric aircraft. CATL had just presented a "condensed" battery, which it claimed reaches up to 500 Wh/kg at cell level, and said it was testing the cells to aviation standards. Neither company has confirmed what battery is installed in the CE-25A. About 500 Wh/kg has long been seen as the energy-density target for commercial-scale electric flight.
Other large electric demonstrators exist. In August, Heart Aerospace flew its X1 in Plattsburgh, New York, for 27 minutes. The aircraft weighs 25,000 lb and has a 106-foot wingspan, and Heart calls it the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown. electrek.co
electrek.coelectrek.coOpen source ↗ Eviation flew its 9-passenger Alice in September 2022 and laid off most of its staff in early 2025.
Heart replaced its 19-seat ES-19 with the 30-seat ES-30 in 2022. The ES-30 relies on reserve turbogenerators to extend its range, with BAE Systems working on the battery. Heart targets service in 2031 and claims operating costs more than 40% lower.
