Chinese urban air mobility technology company EHang Holdings Ltd is stepping up efforts to commercially operate electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, in aerial sightseeing, tourism as well as logistics in overseas markets and bolster the development of the local low-altitude economy.

The company's pilotless eVTOL EH216-S recently completed the first passenger-carrying demo flight in Abu Dhabi, marking the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates and Middle East.

In close coordination with local partners and government departments in the UAE, EHang has been actively engaged in the design and establishment of eVTOL vertiports, in swift preparation for launching commercial routes of urban air mobility.

Hu Huazhi, founder, CEO and chairman 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 General Civil Aviation Authority of the UAE and the Civil Aviation Administration of China to expedite the progress toward commercial flights of our pilotless aircraft in the UAE."

Hu said the company hopes to introduce safe and reliable pilotless eVTOL aircraft to the global market, thereby offering safe, autonomous and eco-friendly air mobility services to everyone.

Referred to as air taxis, eVTOLs don't require traditional airports or runways. Similar to helicopters, they take off vertically and transition into fixed-wing flight mode in the air, and offer a promising air traffic and sightseeing option while traversing congested big cities.

In December 2023, EHang became a member of the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industries Cluster in Abu Dhabi. Led by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, SAVI Cluster is dedicated to establishing the city as a key hub for smart and autonomous vehicles.

The company has also established a strategic partnership with Wings Logistics Hub, a local smart mobility and logistics tech company, to facilitate local certification and operations of the EH216 series eVTOLs covering passenger transportation, aerial logistics, and firefighting in the UAE.

Under this partnership, Wings Logistics Hub intends to purchase up to 100 units of EHang's EH216 series eVTOL aircraft, demonstrating a strong commitment to integrating advanced aerial transportation solutions into the region's infrastructure.

Its EH216-S pilotless eVTOL aircraft also completed its first autonomous air taxi flight in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in June, highlighting the huge application potential of pilotless eVTOL aircraft for the region's transportation system.

Conducted in a low-risk area within protected airspace, the flight was critical in helping local authorities set the appropriate regulatory environment for deploying pilotless eVTOL aircraft, thereby enhancing mobility, reducing congestion and promoting sustainability, EHang said.

The EH216-S pilotless eVTOL aircraft has also successfully conducted flights across 12 cities in Japan, showcasing its versatility in various use cases, including aerial sightseeing, island transportation, aerial logistics, and emergency services.

Global market consultancy Roland Berger estimates there will be up to 3,000 air taxis in operation by 2025 worldwide, and this figure will increase exponentially to 100,000 by 2050. However, several technological, infrastructural and legal hurdles remain.

Yu Zhanfu, a partner at Roland Berger, said eVTOL aircraft need to go through full verification regarding safety and technological stability in sparsely populated areas or scenarios such as natural landscape tourist destinations in the early stages before they can truly enter the urban air mobility segment.

Compared with traditional helicopters, eVTOL aircraft are smaller, lighter and require less space for takeoffs and landings. They also have lower operating costs, which will give a big boost to their popularity, Yu said. However, they still face technical challenges and uncertainties in various weather and geological conditions.

EHang said in April that it had obtained a production certificate for its EH216-S passenger-carrying pilotless eVTOL aircraft in China. The certificate, issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, is the world's first production certificate granted in the global eVTOL industry. Previously, the EH216-S had obtained the type certificate and the airworthiness certificate from the CAAC.

A report from Morgan Stanley has forecast that the global urban air mobility market will be worth $1 trillion by 2040 and $9 trillion by 2050.