EHang, a Chinese autonomous aerial vehicle technology company, has completed Japan’s first autonomous demonstration flight with passengers aboard an eVTOL. The EH216 aircraft transported two people, none of them pilots, along the coast of the city of Oita.
The flight performed on February 17, 2023 was authorized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT).
This was another step by EHang towards regular operation in the country, where the company has been carrying out test flights for two years. In July 2022, the EH216 had completed a point-to-point demo flight in Oita, which was a milestone in the development of the aircraft and the building of an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystem in Japan.
“All these milestones are inextricably linked to the support and trust of MLIT of Japan, local government departments, and our partners. EHang has also demonstrated the reliability of our AAV products. We will continue working with our partners to promote safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly UAM solutions in Japan so as to benefit more people worldwide with our passenger-grade AAVs.”
Xin Fang, COO of EHang.
EHang recently announced a partnership with the city of Curitiba, in Brazil, to carry out demonstration flights in 2023. For this, the Chinese company is seeking authorization from the Brazilian aeronautical authorities, as this would be the first flight of an eVTOL in the country.
