Sri Lanka is preparing to welcome commercial passenger drones, commonly called flying taxis. Minister Anura Karunatilake revealed that trial operations are set to start on November 11, with commercial services potentially taking off in two to three months if all goes well.
Preliminary testing is already taking place at Colombo Port City. The project has secured approvals from the Ministry of Defence, the Civil Aviation Authority, and other related bodies.
Tourism focus and future routes
Chinese aviation tech firm EHang is spearheading the initiative. The Sri Lankan government is backing the move with policy support, regulatory approvals, and infrastructure help. The aircraft are electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles designed to carry passengers without a pilot on board.
In the first stage, the service will mainly serve tourists, offering both local and overseas visitors aerial views of Colombo and nearby areas. If successful, authorities plan to extend operations to other popular spots like Sigiriya and Jaffna.
“We expect to begin the initial flight operations on November 11. If the project is successful, we hope to commence commercial operations within the next two to three months,”Minister Anura Karunatilake
What happens next
Initial flight operations are scheduled to begin on November 11, while the government continues to work with defence and aviation authorities to satisfy all safety and regulatory conditions before commercial services start.
