Aviation authority accepts EHang's AOC applications

Visitors check out an EHang eVTOL aircraft at the company's demonstration venue in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, in May. LI RENZI/XINHUA

The Civil Aviation Administration of China has formally accepted the Air Operator Certificate applications of EHang Holdings Ltd, the urban air mobility technology platform company said on Monday.

The acceptance marks the commencement of a review process for applicants' business licenses and operational qualifications for pilotless passenger-carrying aerial vehicles, with consensus reached on review procedures, subjects and frameworks.

The CAAC has established a specialized review team to move forward the subsequent review process, according to the company.

The applications were jointly submitted by Guangdong EHang General Aviation Co Ltd, EHang's wholly owned subsidiary, and Hefei Heyi Aviation Co Ltd, its joint venture company in Hefei, Anhui province.

As the world's first certificate for pilotless passenger-carrying electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL aircraft, the acceptance will help pave the way for the establishment of the world's first commercial operating standards system for passenger-carrying eVTOLs and lay a solid foundation for the commercial operation of EHang's EH216-S craft, the company said.

In addition to EHang General Aviation and Heyi Aviation, EHang's partners in Guangzhou, and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, Taiyuan in Shanxi province and Wuxi in Jiangsu province, are also actively preparing applications of the certificates, with an aim to accelerate the launching of commercial operations of the EH216-S and low-altitude economy demonstration projects in local cities.

Similar to the previous type certification process, the AOC certification for the EH216-S pilotless passenger-carrying aerial vehicle cannot directly follow the existing standards in the civil aviation field, but requires innovation and improvement based on current regulations to establish a new and applicable standard.

The CAAC issued a consultation notice on the application and issuance of operator certificate under China Civil Aviation Regulations in March, aiming to ensure a smooth implementation of the Rules on the Safety Management of Civil Unmanned Aircraft.

The notice clarifies the air operator certificate application procedures and requirements, standardizes the scope and key points of operational safety assessments and refines operational management requirements.

Leveraging its extensive operational data and practical experience, EHang has been actively collaborating with the CAAC to develop EH216-S operational standards, which will provide a reference basis for the world's first commercial operation regulatory system for pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOLs.

In May, the group standard of technical requirements for eVTOL aircraft landing sites, primarily drafted and initiated by EHang, was released, providing clear guidelines on the technical parameters of eVTOL aircraft landing sites, including physical characteristics, obstacle limitations, site selection, structural design and specialized facilities.

As China's first technical specification for eVTOL aircraft landing sites, the technical standard will serve as a reference basis for the development of eVTOL industry standards in China and will also make a significant contribution to commercial operations of EHang eVTOLs, according to the company.

As China's low-altitude economy is entering a new phase of rapid growth, the CAAC — the industry regulator — will prioritize five key areas, including the construction of unmanned aerial vehicle demonstration zones, the development of airworthiness certification capabilities, the certification of air operator certificates, planning and construction of airport facilities, and the establishment of a low-altitude flight service support system.

"We are collaborating with the CAAC to establish a new operating system for pilotless aerial vehicles, which will once again achieve a breakthrough in the global civil aviation industry," said Hu Huazhi, founder, chairman and CEO of EHang.

The company has already obtained the world's first type certification, production certificate and standard airworthiness certificate for a pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOL, according to Hu.

"By entering into the operator certificate application process, we are pleased to have received high recognition from the regulatory authority and are one step closer to realizing our goal of commercial operation of unmanned passenger-carrying aerial vehicles, representing the final step for urban air mobility entering the consumer market," said Hu.

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