Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On January 16, EHang, a Chinese urban air mobility (UAM) technology platform company, announced that its flagship pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, the EH216-S, has completed the inaugural flight in downtown Shanghai. Besides, the company plans to launch the regular pilot operation for the eVTOL aircraft sightseeing route along the Huangpu River at Longhua Airport in Shanghai.
Longhua Airport serves as a key hub for the development of Shanghai's low-altitude economy, offering ideal conditions for low-altitude activities such as air mobility, tourism and sightseeing, emergency rescue, and logistics. This flight showcased EH216-S's capabilities for commercial operations in urban sightseeing and travel, and laid a solid foundation for the future regular commercial operations of urban air taxis.
The EH216-S for this debut flight is one of the aircraft products that EHang delivered to its client Shanghai Hynfar Aviation Co., Ltd. (Hynfar Aviation). With Longhua Airport as the base, EHang plans to collaborate with Hynfar Aviation and New Margin Eastwood Fund to establish diverse low-altitude eVTOL aircraft commercial operational scenarios including passenger transport and urban sightseeing in the entire area of Shanghai, and further expanding to cities and regions along the Yangtze River Delta. This collaboration aims to bring urban air taxis to more cities.
Mr. Zhao Wang, EHang's Chief Operating Officer, stated: "As the world's first pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOL that has obtained the Type Certificate, Production Certificate, and Standard Airworthiness Certificate from the CAAC, EH216-S's successful debut flight in Shanghai has a great demonstration importance, signifying that large central cities in China are on the verge of entering the era of urban air taxi flight scenarios. With metropolises gradually advancing the development and operations of the low-altitude economy, EHang's pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOLs are poised to become a key driver in UAM transformation. Looking ahead, we will fully leverage our first-mover advantage as the world's first certified eVTOL company and join hands with Hynfar Aviation, which has been deeply rooted in the civil aviation field for many years, and combine the all-encompassing layout and rich cultural and tourism resources of the New Margin Eastwood Fund in the low-altitude economic sector, to actively promote market-oriented, EH216-S commercial operations in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region. Together, we will explore the diversified application scenarios within the low-altitude economy and jointly build a smarter and more efficient UAM ecosystem, making air taxi rides a part of consumers' daily travel routines."
