EHang Holdings Ltd, developer of the EH216 electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, announced that its EHang Unmanned Aircraft Cloud System (UACS) has been approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for trial operations of the proprietary software. With this approval, EHang takes another step toward commercial operations with the aircraft. The approval of the UACS trial operations also serves as a significant safeguard for large-scale operational safety and management.
Owing to the autonomous nature of the EH216 aircraft, the use of UACS will be crucial for EHang’s long-term strategy. EHang UACS boasts the capability to enable cluster management of multiple aircraft within the same airspace. The approval letter issued by the CAAC, as EHang puts it, “signifies that EHang’s UACS meets relevant civil aviation standards in China.” This approval results from two years of trial operations under the CAAC’s guidance. During this time, EHang conducted over 9,300 successful low-altitude tourism flight trials in 20 locations across 18 cities in China, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Zhaoqing, and Sanya.
Huazhi Hu, founder, chairman and CEO of EHang, commented, “[The] EHang UACS trial operation has received official approval from the CAAC, indicating that EHang has been recognized by the authority of the national regulator. From unmanned aerial vehicle systems to the UACS, as well as operating teams and service platforms, EHang has made comprehensive and sufficient preparation for the upcoming commercial operations after years of planning. With EHang’s long-term accumulated advantages, we are confident and well-positioned to embark on a new chapter of UAM operations with our partners.”
