AirX places pre-order for 50 of EHang’s 216 eVTOL aircraft to support various UAM projects in Japan
EHang has announced a pre-order of 50 units of its EH216 autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) from AirX, which is the biggest order the company has received in Japan.
Regarded as the leading helicopter service platform provider in the country, AirX has developed and operated reservation platforms for more than 100 helicopter sightseeing operating routes and private helicopter charters.
Every year, the AirX platform can book over 2,000 helicopter sightseeing flights throughout Japan and more than 200 chartered flights. Since its establishment, AirX has served over 15,000 chartered flight customers.
Tezuka Kiwamu, Founder and CEO of AirX, said: “The low-altitude transportation and tourism market has great potential and broad prospects. By leveraging the advantages of autonomous flight technologies and centralised management, the EH216 AAVs can provide customers with cost-effective aerial sightseeing services, which is why AirX selects EHang as a partner in the global eVTOL market. We look forward to offering consumers safer and more convenient travel options with the EH216 in the future.”
The pre-order of AAVs are planned to facilitate various urban air mobility projects in Japan and may provide ‘air taxi’ services at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.
Huazhi Hu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of EHang, added: “Our partnership with AirX marks a key milestone for us to further explore and develop the UAM market in Japan. We are very delighted to see an increasing number of air transportation partners are introducing EHang’s safe, autonomous and sustainable urban air mobility solutions to the general public.”
The pre-order of 50 216 AAVs follows on from EHang also receiving the first order for its long-range, passenger-grade VT30 eVTOL aircraft in Japan. The VT-30 made its public debut during a ceremony before the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2021, after being launched earlier that year.
It is the first model in EHang’s aircraft portfolio designed for inter-city transportation and complements EHang’s flagship 216 model, which only has a range of 35km and is targeted for intra-city air mobility. The VT-30 can fly for 100 minutes and can transport two passengers a distance of 300km.
At the start of 2022, EHang launched its 5G Intelligent Air Mobility Experience Centre in Guangzhou with Guangzhou Development District Communications Investment Group Co (GDDCI). It has been designed and developed as a new operation spot with all necessary infrastructures for its AAVs under the 100 Air Mobility Routes Initiative.