Autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform EHang has appointed Xin Fang as chief operating officer. He will be in charge of the company's daily operations, with a focus on the sale of EHang AAV products and solutions as well as the commercialisation of urban air mobility (UAM) services. He will report to founder, chairman and CEO Huazhi Hu.

Fang is a seasoned business leader with more than 20 years of business administration and operational experience and a master's degree in business administration from Nanchang University. In 2000, he founded Beijing Yihangtianxin Technology Development, one of the top tier distributors of IBM System xTM in China with sophisticated IT system projects deployed for large-scale enterprises and government departments such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. In 2012, he founded Wuning Xinyihang Investment Development, whose projects include Bluetown Sea Hi in China's Lushan West Sea resort, a major tourism project in Jiangxi province, China.

“I'm delighted to welcome Xin Fang to join EHang's management team," says Hu. "He brings us extensive and valuable experience in business administration, the sale of technology products and solutions, and tourism project development and operations. This will lay a solid groundwork for our next stage of business growth as we move ahead with the 100 Air Mobility Routes Initiative, especially in the field of aerial sightseeing and tourism. Looking forward, Mr Fang will play a pivotal role in reinforcing our team's synergy and executing the company's strategy to become a pioneering UAM platform operator with our mission to bring safe, autonomous and eco-friendly air mobility to everyone.”

Fang adds: “EHang is at the forefront of the global UAM industry, leading the autonomous eVTOL innovation to change the way passengers and cargo move. I'm thrilled to join such a revolutionary technology company and will dedicate all my expertise and experience to this great career. With the support of our talented teams, I'm confident of taking EHang to the next level of success, and maintaining our global leadership in the increasingly competitive UAM sector.”