EHang has launched a UAM Hub (the Hub) at Luogang Central Park in Hefei, Anhui Province, the second vertiport established in Luogang Park following the opening of the Urban Air Mobility Operations Centre in May. It will serve as a key infrastructure for the future operation of EH216-S pilotless passenger-carrying aerial vehicles and as a demonstration project for the commercial operations of eVTOL aircraft in eastern China.

The launch event of the Hub was held in Hefei with guests including Hongwen Zhang, member of the Standing Committee of Anhui Province and Secretary of Hefei Municipal Committee, and Fei Yuan, member of the Standing Committee of Hefei and deputy mayor.

The Hub’s upward spiral design, named ‘Ascend’, symbolises the rise of the eVTOL low-altitude economy. It spans approximately 1,963 square metres and is designed to accommodate 10 to 20 EH216-S aircraft. It features multiple dedicated zones for ticketing, passenger waiting and boarding, a command-and-control centre and charging and maintenance areas. It will provide EH216-S flight services for the public according to the operational standard after obtaining an Air Operator Certificate. The hub also delivers maintenance and educational services.

The Hub will be operated by Hefei Heyi Aviation and is equipped to operate 10 EH216-S aircraft and store up to 50 eVTOL aircraft, enabling low-altitude shuttle flights within the park.

EHang CFO Conor Yang commentsÚ “EHang is accelerating the commercial operations of the EH216-S and continuously partnering with local governments across multiple regions to build exemplary models of low-altitude economic operations. As a strategic partner of Hefei City, EHang has completed a debut commercial flight demonstration in Hefei and assisted in the construction of two vertiports. The newly completed Hefei UAM Hub stands as an outstanding testament to the collaborative innovation between EHang and its partners in the low-altitude operational ecosystem, reflecting the strong and critical support from both Anhui and Hefei governments for low-altitude economic development. With the imminent receipt of the world’s first eVTOL AOC, EHang will work with partners to accelerate the commercial operation of eVTOL, driving Hefei’s low-altitude economy to achieve high-quality development.”

Since its strategic partnership with the Hefei Municipal Government began in October 2023, EHang delivered 15 units of EH216-S to a Hefei customer in 4Q23 and successfully conducted a debut commercial flight demonstration at Luogang Park in December 2023. In March 2024, EHang and the Hefei Municipal Government jointly established Heyi Aviation, a low-altitude operations company, to oversee implementation and operation of low-altitude projects in Hefei. In July, the CAAC formally accepted Heyi Aviation’s application for an AOC for civil pilotless passenger-carrying aerial vehicles. The first AOC in the eVTOL industry is expected to be obtained within this year, and then Heyi Aviation will launch commercial operations of the EH216-S for sightseeing, air shuttle and aerial logistics at both the Hub and the Operation Centre.