More tourism deals for EHang’s passenger drones

Guangzhou, CHINA – It seems drone company EHang has stumbled across an acceptable way of easing passenger drones into people’s lives: making them warm up to the people-carrying unmanned machines in tourist resorts before breaking into the mainstream market.
And if that is the plan, kudos to you Ehang.
After delivering nearly 30 passenger drone units for the Wengcheng County’s drive towards boosting their low altitude economy, the Chinese company has just announced another delivery of ten units of the EH216-S pilotless electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft to the Taiyuan Xishan Ecological Tourism Investment company in Shanxi.
To be delivered in the second quarter of this year, the drones will be deployed to carry tourists for sightseeing around various resorts in the area.
As a way of demonstration, Ehang flew two EH216-S carrying four passengers for an aerial view of the vast paddy fields.
“The flights showcased the potential of pilotless eVTOL in providing aerial sightseeing services in Taiyuan, and demonstrated the EH216-S’s advantages in autonomous flying, cluster management, and safe and stable operations, earning both acknowledgement and praise from the guests and passengers” the company said in a statement.
“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, demonstrating EHang’s comprehensive eVTOL product portfolio and solutions for the low-altitude economy ecosystem.”
Shanxi, located in the North China region, is a national demonstration province for the development of general aviation industry, and 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, subsidise short-range logistics and low-altitude tourism, and accelerate the development of general aviation infrastructure and operational service capabilities.
“As a national strategic emerging industry, the low-altitude economy is not only a typical representative of new productive force but also an important direction for cultivating new growth drivers, with vast development prospects,” said Jicheng Yang, Member of the Standing Committee of Taiyuan Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor.
“Its application scenarios have gradually extended from passenger transportation, aerial sightseeing, and emergency rescue to various sectors of the society. The new low-altitude application scenarios are continuously expanding, and a new landscape of the low-altitude industry chain is further taking shape.
“Taiyuan is a national civil unmanned aerial vehicle test zone, with the foundation and advantages to develop the aviation industry, and will actively seize the lead in the emerging low-altitude economy industry. Taiyuan will enhance policy support, essential guarantees, and innovation capabilities, and promote the deep integration of technological innovation and the low-altitude economy.
“We will continue to enrich general aviation application scenarios and, with a more open and inclusive attitude, to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results through deep cooperation and strive to write a new chapter in the construction of commercial air routes.”
It looks like EHang’s factory in Yunfu will be busy, as the company signed yet another memorandum of understanding with Xishan Tourism, including a purchase order for 50 units of EH216-S, with a plan to acquire an additional 450 units over the next two years.
Xishan Tourism plans to launch the 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.
“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,” said Yaozong Chang, Chairman of Xishan Tourism.
“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.”
While Zhao Wang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang, remarked; “The Civil Aviation Administration of China has officially accepted our application for the EH216-S Air Operator Certificate, 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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