EHang has announced that it has delivered the first batch of 10 units of EH216-S pilotless electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to Taiyuan Xishan Ecological Tourism Investment Construction Co in the second quarter of this year, and completed debut passenger-carrying flights of EH216-S in Taiyuan, Shanxi on July 28, 2024.
“Tao Wei, Member of the Standing Committee of Shanxi Provincial Committee and Secretary of Taiyuan Municipal Committee, along with other government officials, experts, scholars and enterprise representatives, attended the inaugural flight ceremony of EHang’s pilotless passenger-carrying aircraft, a milestone for the development of Shanxi’s low-altitude economy,” said the company in a press release. “The ceremony took place at the Paddy Field Park in Taiyuan, where two units of EH216-S eVTOL aircraft took off simultaneously with four passengers onboard for an aerial view of the vast paddy fields….During the event, EHang also showcased its VT-30 long-range pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOL, the EH216-F for firefighting use, and the EH216-L for logistics use.
The Shanxi Provincial Government issued the Measures to Accelerate the Development of the Low-Altitude Economy and the Construction of General Aviation Demonstration Province in May 2024. These measures facilitate regular low-altitude flights, subsidize short-range logistics and low-altitude tourism, and accelerate the development of general aviation infrastructure and operational service capabilities.
In May this year Xishan Tourism and EHang signed a memorandum of understanding and a purchase order for 50 EH216-Ss, with a plan to acquire an additional 450 units over the next two years. The first batch of delivered EH216-S aircraft will be deployed for local low-altitude sightseeing and tourism services, said EHang. Xishan Tourism is currently advancing the regular operation of EH216-S flights and plans to launch eVTOL low-altitude sightseeing routes at Yuquan Mountain, Paddy Field Park, and Juewei Mountain, among other locations in Taiyuan, to establish a series of trend-setting “low-altitude tourism” demonstration projects and contribute to the development of Shanxi Province’s low-altitude economy demonstration zone.
Yaozong Chang, Chairman of Xishan Tourism, stated, “Xishan Tourism plans to collaborate with EHang and other partners on low-altitude scenarios of air mobility, tourism and public services to establish multiple flight camps or landing pads, alongside various low-altitude sightseeing routes for pilotless eVTOL within Taiyuan and nearby scenic areas. We aim to build an urban low-altitude tourism mobility network and a new urban air traffic management system, and to establish a low-altitude economy industrial park. We’re poised to explore and demonstrate the development of low-altitude economy in Shanxi Province.”
Zhao Wang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang, said“The Civil Aviation Administration of China has officially accepted our application for the EH216-S Air Operator Certificate (“AOC” or “OC”), which is a major breakthrough for the global eVTOL industry. At present, we have gradually delivered EH216-S by batches to Taiyuan, Hefei, Wuxi, Wencheng, Zhuhai, and other places, and are actively assisting our local partners who are creating application scenarios to obtain OC. As we delivered EH216-S and completed debut passenger-carrying flights in Taiyuan, we will work together with Xishan Tourism in establishing a benchmark for low-altitude economy in the region, gradually rolling out this innovative technology across North China and bringing a new aerial flight experience to more people, and making UAM accessible to the public.”
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