What if you could soar above city traffic without a pilot in sight? Africa just witnessed that future—live.

In a jaw-dropping moment for aviation, a Chinese-made flying car—the EH216-S eVTOL—has pulled off Africa’s very first pilotless, passenger-carrying flight. That’s right: A fully autonomous aircraft, with no one at the controls, took to the skies above Kigali, Rwanda, making global headlines and rewriting the script for urban transportation.

Let’s break it down. EHang, a Chinese tech company at the forefront of eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) innovation, showcased its futuristic EH216-S during the 9th Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition. Over 50 journalists from around the world looked on as the craft lifted representatives from Rwanda’s Civil Aviation Authority and top Chinese reporters high above the city—no pilots, just passengers and cutting-edge AI at the controls.

This AI generated newscast about pilotless flight isn’t just another press release—it’s an industry milestone. The EH216-S is the world’s first eVTOL to be fully certified for passenger flights, and its Rwandan demo marks the first time such technology has touched down on African soil. While there’s no official word yet on when Rwanda might actually get its own autonomous flying taxis, the demo stirred imaginations and gave everyone a glimpse of a sky-high future.

And EHang isn’t stopping at short hops. The company is already deep into developing a long-range version of its craft, aiming for cross-sea and cross-mountain journeys—imagine booking a flight over vast landscapes, with an AI at the helm, while you sit back and enjoy the view.

It’s not just about this one flight, either. The world is in the middle of an eVTOL gold rush. Just last month, an autonomous cargo eVTOL completed an unprecedented 300km offshore mission. Major cities from Asia to the U.S. are racing to make flying taxis a reality—China alone could see up to 100,000 flying cars by decade’s end. The AI generated newscast about the EH216-S in Africa is just the latest in a series of world-firsts as we edge closer to a Jetsons-style reality, where the morning commute means taking to the skies.

As the technology rapidly advances, one thing is clear: The phrase “the sky’s the limit” just got a whole new upgrade. Stay tuned—because the age of autonomous flight is officially taking off.