Anyone keen to view from on high the prosperous cityscape of Guangdong, may soon can do so from the cabin of a flying taxi. On October 13th the Civil Aviation (航空) Administration of China (CAAC) awarded a "type certificate" to the world's first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) taxi. And the small two-seater, called the EH216-S, was also permitted to fly without a pilot on board.

The EH216-S is made by EHang, a company based in Guangdong. It looks like a large consumer drone with a passenger bubble installed on top. Propulsion (推动力) is provided by 16 small rotors (转子), installed on the tips of eight arms that fold away when the vehicle is not in use, allowing it to park in small spaces.

The CAAC gave its approval after EHang had conducted more than 40,000 test flights, including with volunteer passengers in 18 cities across China. It also monitored the EH216-S to structural analysis and crash tests, and checked its ability to keep flying if one of its rotors fails. Regulators (监管机构) also inspected the wireless network EHang uses to link its flying taxis to a control centre on the ground. That allows backup pilots to land an aircraft by remote control if there is a problem.

EHang says its pilotless eVTOLs will be quieter than helicopters and much cheaper to operate, thanks to the ability to swap out an expensive pilot for a second paying passenger. The firm also thinks that doing away with pilots will make things safer. A computer's attention never swings, and its reaction operate at a high speed. And it is much easier to automate than driving, for there are fewer barriers and unexpected situations to navigate.

EHang has ambitions beyond China, too. It has carried out demonstration flights in Amèrica and Europe with the aim of obtaining type certificates in both markets. But their regulators both have signalled that they will allow autonomous flights only after the vehicles have proved themselves safe in human hands.