EH216-S Pilotless eVTOL Completes Debut Passenger Flights in Thailand, with Flights Tests and Commercial Operations Forthcoming
EHang Holdings announced that its EH216-S pilotless eVTOL aircraft completed debut passenger flights in Thailand at Bangkok's Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, marking its expansion to the 18th country globally. With permission from Thailand's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT), EHang plans to conduct flight tests and launch commercial operations in regions like Phuket and Koh Samui by 2025. The demonstration flights, conducted over three consecutive days, included passengers from Sky Image Tech and Bangkok Airways. The CAAT plans to open flight tests for certified eVTOLs in various locations and aims to commence commercial operations in specific areas by 2025.
EHang Holdings ha annunciato che il suo EH216-S aereo eVTOL senza pilota ha completato voli passeggeri di debutto in Thailandia presso il Centro Nazionale delle Convenzioni Queen Sirikit di Bangkok, segnando la sua espansione nel 18° paese a livello globale. Con il permesso dell'Autorità per l'Aviazione Civile della Thailandia (CAAT), EHang prevede di condurre test di volo e avviare operazioni commerciali in regioni come Phuket e Koh Samui entro il 2025. I voli dimostrativi, effettuati per tre giorni consecutivi, hanno incluso passeggeri di Sky Image Tech e Bangkok Airways. La CAAT prevede di aprire test di volo per eVTOL certificati in diverse località e punta a iniziare le operazioni commerciali in aree specifiche entro il 2025.
EHang Holdings anunció que su aeronave eVTOL sin piloto EH216-S completó vuelos de pasajeros debut en Tailandia en el Centro Nacional de Convenciones Queen Sirikit de Bangkok, marcando su expansión al 18° país a nivel mundial. Con el permiso de la Autoridad de Aviación Civil de Tailandia (CAAT), EHang planea realizar pruebas de vuelo y lanzar operaciones comerciales en regiones como Phuket y Koh Samui para el 2025. Los vuelos demostrativos, realizados durante tres días consecutivos, incluyeron pasajeros de Sky Image Tech y Bangkok Airways. La CAAT planea abrir pruebas de vuelo para eVTOL certificados en diversas ubicaciones y tiene como objetivo iniciar operaciones comerciales en áreas específicas para el 2025.
EHang Holdings는 자사의 파일럿 없는 eVTOL 항공기 EH216-S가 방콕의 퀸 시리킷 국립 컨벤션 센터에서 태국에서 첫 승객 비행을 완료했다고 발표하며, 전 세계적으로 18번째 국가로의 확장을 알렸습니다. 태국 민간 항공청(CAAT)의 허가를 받아, EHang은 2025년까지 푸켓과 코사무이와 같은 지역에서 비행 테스트를 실시하고 상업 운항을 시작할 계획입니다. 3일 연속으로 실시된 시범 비행에는 Sky Image Tech 및 방콕 에어웨이즈의 승객이 포함되었습니다. CAAT는 인증된 eVTOL을 위한 비행 테스트를 다양한 장소에서 개방할 계획이며, 2025년까지 특정 지역에서 상업 운항을 시작하는 것을 목표로 하고 있습니다.
EHang Holdings a annoncé que son aéronef eVTOL sans pilote EH216-S a réalisé ses premiers vols de passagers en Thaïlande au Centre national de conventions Queen Sirikit à Bangkok, marquant son expansion dans le 18e pays à l'échelle mondiale. Avec l'autorisation de l'Autorité de l'aviation civile de Thaïlande (CAAT), EHang prévoit de réaliser des tests de vol et de lancer des opérations commerciales dans des régions telles que Phuket et Koh Samui d'ici 2025. Les vols de démonstration, effectués sur trois jours consécutifs, ont inclus des passagers de Sky Image Tech et Bangkok Airways. La CAAT prévoit d'ouvrir des tests de vol pour des eVTOL certifiés dans divers endroits et vise à commencer des opérations commerciales dans des zones spécifiques d'ici 2025.
EHang Holdings hat angekündigt, dass sein EH216-S pilotenloses eVTOL-Flugzeug in Thailand am Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok mit Passagierflügen debütiert hat und damit in das 18. Land weltweit expandiert. Mit Genehmigung der thailändischen Zivilluftfahrtbehörde (CAAT) plant EHang, Flugtests durchzuführen und bis 2025 kommerziellen Betrieb in Regionen wie Phuket und Koh Samui aufzunehmen. Die Demonstrationsflüge, die über drei aufeinanderfolgende Tage stattfanden, umfassten Passagiere von Sky Image Tech und Bangkok Airways. Die CAAT plant, Flugtests für zertifizierte eVTOLs an verschiedenen Standorten zu eröffnen und zielt darauf ab, bis 2025 in bestimmten Gebieten kommerzielle Operationen zu beginnen.
- Expansion into 18th country globally with successful passenger flights in Thailand
- Received regulatory approval from CAAT for demonstration flights
- Planned commercial operations in key tourist areas by 2025
- Strategic entry into Southeast Asian market with government support
- None.
Insights
The successful debut passenger flights in Thailand represent a significant market expansion opportunity for EHang. Thailand's tourism-heavy economy, with its numerous islands and urban congestion challenges, presents an ideal market for eVTOL services. The planned commercial operations in tourist hotspots like Phuket and Koh Samui by 2025 could generate substantial revenue streams.
The regulatory approval from Thailand's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) is particularly noteworthy as it marks EHang's entry into the 18th country globally. Thailand's commitment to opening its low-altitude airspace for certified eVTOLs signals strong government support, which is important for market development. The EH216-S's unique position as the world's only eVTOL with airworthiness certificates gives EHang a first-mover advantage in the Southeast Asian market.
The EH216-S's deployment in Thailand addresses critical transportation infrastructure challenges. The aircraft's ability to operate without traditional runways makes it ideal for inter-island connectivity and urban mobility solutions. This could revolutionize Thailand's tourism transportation sector, currently dependent on slower water-based transport.
The strategic timing of commercial operations in 2025 aligns with global eVTOL market maturation. The focus on tourist-heavy locations like Phuket and Koh Samui demonstrates a smart market entry strategy, targeting high-value routes where passengers are more likely to pay premium prices for time-saving air mobility services.
GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EHang Holdings Limited (“EHang” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: EH), the world’s leading Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) technology platform company, today announced that its EH216-S pilotless electric vertical takeoff and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft completed debut passenger flights in Thailand at the renowned Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in central Bangkok. The flights mark a new milestone for expanding EHang’s eVTOL flight footprint to the 18th country globally. With the permission of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (“CAAT”), the Company is also planning to conduct flight tests on EH216-S in Thailand and launch commercial flight operations in various regions such as Phuket and Koh Samui by 2025, to collaboratively open Thailand's low-altitude airspace and air mobility market.
(Picture: EH216-S Debut Passenger Flights in Bangkok, Thailand)
With the leadership of the CAAT and support of the Ministry of Transport of Thailand, EHang was invited to participate in the Thailand Drone Exhibition & Symposium 2024. Here, EHang conducted passenger flights for three consecutive days with the Demonstration Flight Permit issued by the CAAT. Mr. Phasu Manipanti, CEO of Sky Image Tech, EHang's partner in Thailand, Mr. Sorasit Thongjeen, First Officer, Flight Operations of Bangkok Airways among other passengers took a ride on the EH216-S. This ground-breaking flight event was also witnessed by the distinguished guests including Mr. Chaiyatham Promsorn, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Transport of Thailand; Mr. Tao Ma, Director of the International Civil Aviation Organization; Mr. Shijun Yin, Vice President of Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the former Chief Engineer of the Civil Aviation Administration of China; Mr. Suttipong Kongpool, Director of the CAAT and Mr. Kajonpat Maklin, Deputy Director of the CAAT.
The EH216-S is capable of vertical take-off and landing, eliminating the need for traditional airport runways, and can conduct point-to-point air transportation in city centers, effectively alleviating Thailand's issues with ground traffic congestion. Additionally, Thailand is a country with many islands and abundant tourism resources. Traditional water transportation methods are time-consuming, and the application of EH216-S can provide efficient and accessible island-hopping air transportation services, meeting demands for transportation solutions in the tourism industry.
The CAAT plans to open flight tests for certified eVTOLs in various locations in Thailand, and in 2025, will target to open commercial flight operations for certified eVTOLs in certain areas, such as Phuket and Koh Samui, to jointly promote the nation’s opening of low-altitude airspace and air mobility market.
Mr. Suttipong Kongpool, Director of the CAAT, stated: "This demo flights marks significant progress in integrating UAM solutions into Thailand's aviation industry. EHang’s EH216-S is currently the world’s only eVTOL with airworthiness certificates, and we look forward to its commercial flight operations in certain areas of Thailand next year, which will serve as significant contribution to Thailand's UAM roadmap development plan."
(Picture: Mr. Conor Yang, CFO of EHang, delivering a speech at the Thailand Drone Exhibition & Symposium 2024)
Mr. Conor Yang, CFO of EHang, stated, "The debut passenger flights of our EH216-S pilotless eVTOL in Thailand is a key milestone in EHang's ongoing international development and that is a strong boost in promoting the transformation of global advanced urban air mobility. We aim to apply our pilotless eVTOL products and solutions in the Southeast Asian market. In the future, with the strong support of the CAAT, we will cooperate with our local partners to formulate a model for regular UAM operations in Thailand, contributing to the development of the urban air mobility market in Southeast Asia and worldwide."
About EHang
EHang (Nasdaq: EH) is the world’s leading urban air mobility (“UAM”) technology platform company. Our mission is to enable safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone. EHang provides customers in various industries with unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) systems and solutions: air mobility (including passenger transportation and logistics), smart city management, and aerial media solutions. EHang’s flagship product EH216-S has obtained the world’s first type certificate, production certificate and standard airworthiness certificate for pilotless eVTOL issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. As the forerunner of cutting-edge UAV technologies and commercial solutions in the global UAM industry, EHang continues to explore the boundaries of the sky to make flying technologies benefit our life in smart cities. For more information, please visit www.ehang.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about management’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to those relating to certifications, our expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, our products and solutions and the commercialization of UAM services, our relationships with strategic partners, and current litigation and potential litigation involving us. Management has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While they believe these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond management’s control. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause EHang’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
Media Contact: pr@ehang.com
Investor Contact: ir@ehang.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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FAQ
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