EHang Completes First Pilotless eVTOL Flight Carrying Humans
EHang Holdings Limited announced that it successfully conducted the first-ever pilotless human-carrying flight of its EH216-S in Africa.
This flight took place during the 9th Aviation Africa Summit & Exhibition (the "Aviation Africa Summit") in Kigali, Rwanda, in collaboration with China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). This establishes EHang as the first pilotless electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to fly on the African continent.
The Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA) supported the pilotless flight of the EH216-S. Dignitaries were present for the flight, including:
- Rwandan President Paul Kagame
- Minister of Infrastructure Dr. Jimmy Gasore
- RCAA Director General Silas Udahemuka
- Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Wenqi Gao
Aviation representatives and media journalists from over 50 countries attended the flight ceremony, as well as Mr. Rucheng Lu, chief engineer of EHang. Staff from the RCAA and reporters from China Media Group experienced the flights first. This marked a successful debut in Africa and expanded the EH216-S’s global flight footprint to 21 countries across five continents.
What was the reaction to the human-carrying eVTOL flight with no pilot?
President Paul Kagame of Rwandan stated, "This impressive flight will drive the development of low-altitude transportation in Africa."
Chinese Ambassador Wenqi Gao highlighted the flight as a symbol of deepening practical cooperation between China and Rwanda, emphasizing how this flight could impact the broader context of China-Africa technological cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Minister of Infrastructure Dr. Jimmy Gasore expressed Rwanda’s commitment to exploring new transportation solutions, noting that this flight could help to establish a safe and advanced air mobility regulatory framework in the country.
The Aviation Africa Summit focuses on aviation industry development, regional cooperation and investment opportunities, facilitating global exchanges around topics such as new civil aviation applications. Visitors from around the world were able to view the EH216-S, displayed at the summit.
Dignitaries such as President Paul Kagame and Chinese Ambassador Wenqi Gao visited EHang's booth. They expressed how they plan for China and Rwanda to work together on technological developments and in the low-altitude economy.
What are eHang’s expansion plans in Africa?
The successful debut flight of the EH216-S previews its future deployment in practical commercial applications. It also demonstrates capabilities like:
· Addressing transportation challenges
· Enhancing economic growth
· Improving livelihoods in Africa
EHang will work with partners, such as CRBC, to actively expand into the African market, leveraging its experience in low-altitude applications and aadvanced pilotless aerial vehicle technology. This will help identify the advanced air mobility development model that most suits the African region.
As the strategic partner for the summit and flight, Head of CRBC's Rwanda Office Qilin Huang stated, "The EH216-S flight is a brilliant showcase of China's cutting-edge technology and new-quality productive forces in Africa. Looking forward, we will continue to explore eVTOL application scenarios in Africa and open up new opportunities in this emerging market."
Chief Engineer of EHang Mr. Rucheng Lu commented, "With over 73,000 safe flights already completed, this first human-carrying flights in Africa demonstrates EHang's outstanding technical capabilities and robust system safety, making an important step in accelerating our global expansion.”
He continued, “Starting with the Aviation Africa Summit, EHang will continue to engage with African airlines, airports, civil aviation authorities, industry organizations, and aviation professionals, exploring innovative models and providing solutions that promote the development of Africa's transportation, logistics, tourism and other sectors, and contribute to the better development of global new civil aviation."