Ehang, a smart aerial vehicle technology company from Guangzhou, signs a cooperation agreement with Azerbaijan Airlines on Oct 15. [Photo by Li Zhao/chinanews.com]

Ehang, a smart aerial vehicle technology company, signed a cooperation agreement with Azerbaijan Airlines on Oct 15 to build an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) command and control center and a UAV traffic management (UTM) system at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.

Founded in 2014 in Guangzhou, Ehang is one of China's leading drone markers, providing its customers from home and abroad with autonomous aerial vehicle products and commercial solutions, serving a variety of industries.

The UAV command and control center will help Azerbaijan Air Navigation Services (AZANS) carry out unified management of UAV transportation in the airport area, preventing situations such as unauthorized UAVs disturbing airlines.

The center will be integrated into the current air traffic management (ATM) system in Azerbaijan.

The center will also provide technical support for AZANS in areas including 3D mapping, geological reconnaissance, and airport design.

The UTM system is expected to be able to support functions, such as the online registration and authentication of drones, as well as the registering of pilots' information along with the approval of flight procedures.

In addition, Ehang will help Azerbaijan National Aviation Academy cultivate talents in UAVs and build integrated simulators for UAV management.

The integration of the UTM and the ATM is expected to effectively deal with obstructions caused by UAVs on airlines, as well as promote the application of UAV technologies in civil aviation.

Ehang's UAV command and control center. [Photo by Li Zhao/chinanews.com]