01:07 PM EDT, 07/22/2024 (MT Newswires) -- EHang Holdings ( EH ) said Monday that the aviation regulators in China have started final reviews of the company's pilotless electric vertical takeoff and landing passenger vehicle needed for the air-taxi company to begin commercial operations after accepting its air operator certificate applications.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China accepted applications submitted by eHang's unit and its joint venture with Hefei Heyi Aviation initiating its formal review, the partners said. The agency previously assembled a specialized crew to examine the air taxi as well as consider other guidelines to best manage low-altitude airspace, they said.

Pending final certifications, EHang ( EH ) is expecting to launch its air-tax service in several cities. The company late last week also signed a sales agreement for 30 of its EH216-S air passenger vehicles with the subsidiary of Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings, the largest non-franchised bus operator in Hong Kong.

EHang ( EH ) shares were trading more than 3% higher in recent trading.

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