by Michael Willoughby
EHang, autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company, announced that it has signed an agreement with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) to establish a command-and-control centre to manage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The agreement was signed on October 9, 2019 in Baku by EHang’s Founder, Chairman and CEO Huazhi Hu and AZAL’s President Jahangir Asgarov.
The command-and-control center will allow Azerbaijan Air Navigation Services (AZANS), the air navigation services provider for the Republic of Azerbaijan, to control UAV traffic on the airport’s premises and prevent the unauthorized use of UAVs. It will be fully integrated with the Azerbaijani air traffic control system.
The command-and-control centre will also equip AZANS with technologies including 3D mapping and terrain scanning to support airfield design and aerial navigation map development. A future web application could include UAV and pilot registration information, certification documents and permissions for flight procedures. As part of the agreement, EHang will also train UAV specialists at the National Academy of Aviation of Azerbaijan and build a UAV management simulator complex.
“UAVs represent a significant opportunity to optimize airport operations, but it is important to launch them into the right infrastructural framework,” said Hu Huazhi. “Our command-and-control centre enables the seamless integration of new aerial mobility options into existing air traffic patterns and we are excited to partner with AZANS on this project, which paves the way for future partnerships with aviation authorities globally.”
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