EHang Holdings' two-seater passenger-grade AAV, EHang 216, has completed its maiden flights in three Korean locations: Seoul, Daegu and Jeju Island. This flight tour signifies the starting point from which to explore the UAM market in the country.

During the flight tour, EHang brought the UAM solution to Korea, including passenger transportation, EMS and aerial sightseeing. In Seoul, the EHang 216 took off from downtown Yeouido Island to perform an autonomous flight over a densely populated area. The second flight took place in the Suseong District in Daegu City to deliver a package containing a 119 fire emergency kit and AED materials. The last flight was performed in Jeju Island, where the EHang 216 flew over the coastline to demonstrate the real use case of aerial sightseeing.

The Korean flight tour was completed after obtaining the first SAC (Special Certificate of Airworthiness) issued for a passenger-grade AAV by Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT). Respectively, the three flights demonstrated the practical use cases of EHang's UAM solutions in different scenarios. Successful completion of the maiden flight tour may lead to opportunities for future cooperation between EHang and its Korean partners in potential UAM operations. EHang will work with its partners in potential smart city transformations with its AAV technologies.

Seoul, Daegu and Jeju Island were all selected as pilot site of the Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Roadmap. The project was announced by the MOLIT in June 2020, with the aim of commercialising UAM services between 2023 and 2025.

Acting mayor of Seoul, Seo Jeong-hyup announced that the city government will strive to ensure that the human dream of safely flying can become reality for Seoul citizens, which will support the future industry of Korea.

Located in the central urban area of Daegu city, Suseong District plans to launch more aerial routes in stages, based on the EHang 216 flight and promote the industrialisation process of UAM. “To tackle traffic congestion, we will try our best to develop UAM and turn it into a new engine for our economic development,” comments Kim Dae-Gweon, mayor of Suseong District in Daegu city.

Won Hee-Ryong of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province adds: “To further promote UAM development, Jeju Island is considering various measures, including the set-up of special funds and policies, fostering talents and supporting relevant enterprises.”

With the support of MOLIT and local governments, the success of the first phase of EHang's UAM operation plan for Korea set another milestone in the company's global UAM development, and further demonstrated the safety and reliability of EHang's AAV technology. The Korean flight tour lays a solid foundation for future business expansion in Korea with potential acceleration to its UAM operations.