Chinese urban air mobility (UAM) specialist EHang’s EH216-S pilotless electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has completed its first passenger-carrying demo flight in Abu Dhabi.

This is the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Middle East.

The EH216-F (for high-rise firefighting) and EH216-L (for aerial logistics) aircraft also had their debut flights in the UAE, showcasing a diverse range of UAM use scenarios of pilotless eVTOL aircraft.

The EH216-S, EH216-L and EH216-F performed several autonomous flights at the Emirates Falcons Aviation Club in Al Ali, Abu Dhabi ,with the approval by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the UAE. Mohamed Al Dhaheri, board member of EHang’s local partner Multi Level Group (MLG), took a ride on the EH216-S. These demo flights were watched by Emirati royalty, civil aviation authorities, government officials and the media.

“Being part of this historic moment is truly exhilarating,” said Al Dhaheri. “The seamless integration of technology and aviation represents a significant leap forward for our nation and, as an Emirati, I am proud to be a part of it.”

The EH216 planes are designed as transformative in addressing urban mobility challenges such as emissions and congestion. The pilotless eVTOL aircraft feature a compact fuselage, high redundancy design and intelligent cluster management, enabling safety and efficiency as well as scalable operations, to provide safe, autonomous and eco-friendly air mobility.

Following the EH216-S debut unmanned demo flights at the DriftX event last month, the recent flights represented a continuous fruitful outcome of EHang’s further development in the UAE supported by the GCAA, MLG and Wings Logistics Hub. In coordination with the partners and government entities in the UAE, EHang is engaged in the design and establishment of eVTOL vertiports in preparation for launching commercial UAM routes.

EHang expanded into the UAE by joining the Smart & Autonomous Vehicle Industries Cluster and establishing a partnership with Wings Logistics Hub in December 2023, and established a collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and MLG in April 2024 to drive eVTOL development in the UAE.

Huazhi Hu, CEO of EHang, said: “After securing the approval for passenger-carrying demo flights and conducting the debut flight, we will actively foster collaboration and communication between the GCAA and the Civil Aviation Administration of China to expedite the progress towards commercial flights of our pilotless aircraft in the UAE, which will become a milestone in the advancement of Abu Dhabi and the global air mobility sector. With strong local government support and valued partnerships, EHang is poised to continue leading the charge of UAM in the UAE and beyond.”

EHang (www.ehang.com) provides various industries with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems for air mobility including passenger transportation and logistics, smart city management, and aerial media. The EH216-S has obtained the world’s first type certificate, production certificate and standard airworthiness certificate for passenger-carrying pilotless eVTOL aircraft issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.