By establishing UAM experience centres & supporting service systems, EHang hopes its pilotless aircaft will become part of daily life of the locals
Chinese autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) manufacturer Ehang has announced strategic partnerships with the Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Pan-Tourism Development, Zhuhai Huafa Sports Operations Management and Flying World (Zhuhai) Technology companies to jointly initiate Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations for aerial sightseeing and other air mobility services in the Hengqin New Area. Hengqin is the largest island, and a Free Trade Zone in southeast Zhuhai in Guangdong Province of China. By establishing UAM experience centres and a suite of supporting service systems, EHang hopes its pilotless aircaft will be integrated into the daily life of the local population.
During a signing ceremony held on 8 January, a fleet of EH216 AAVs made passenger-carrying flights from Tianqin Park, in front of local government officials, enterprise representatives, the media and residents. A total of 36 passengers flew in the autonomous EH216. Through this event, EHang says it demonstrated its technology for the centralised management of simultaneous flights of multiple AAVs in distributed operations under command-and-control systems.
Resting on the west bank of the Pearl River estuary, the Hengqin New Area is regarded as the core of the Pearl River Delta and boasts a unique geographical location adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau. This advantageous geographical location offers rich tourism resources, boosting market demand for the development of short- and medium-haul urban air transportation.
Li Weihui, Deputy Secretary of the Hengqin New Area, said, “We warmly welcome the arrival of EHang passenger-grade AAVs, and believe this new style of intelligent air mobility will flourish in beautiful Hengqin.”
