Anura Karunathilaka, Sri Lanka's Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, takes a ride in an electric-powered passenger drone during its first official trial, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Nov. 11, 2026. Sri Lanka on Wednesday conducted its first official trial of an electric-powered passenger drone at Colombo Port City, exploring the introduction of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for passenger transport and tourism. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)
COLOMBO, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka on Wednesday conducted its first official trial of an electric-powered passenger drone at Colombo Port City, exploring the introduction of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for passenger transport and tourism.
Anura Karunathilaka, Sri Lanka's minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, took a ride in the drone.
The aircraft is operated remotely from a central control center. It is also designed to take automated safety measures in the event of an emergency or communication failure.
The proposed initiative will initially operate on a trial basis, with testing expected to continue at Colombo Port City for approximately six months before any potential commercial deployment.
The demonstration follows discussions between several departments in Sri Lanka, which examined potential applications of the passenger drone technology in tourism, passenger transport, emergency services, and logistics, including aerial connections between tourist attractions such as Sigiriya and Pidurangala, as well as surrounding islands. ■
This photo shows an electric-powered passenger drone at the site of its official trial in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Nov. 11, 2026. Sri Lanka on Wednesday conducted its first official trial of an electric-powered passenger drone at Colombo Port City, exploring the introduction of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for passenger transport and tourism. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)
People take photos of an electric-powered passenger drone during its first official trial, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Nov. 11, 2026. Sri Lanka on Wednesday conducted its first official trial of an electric-powered passenger drone at Colombo Port City, exploring the introduction of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for passenger transport and tourism. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)