China releases special conditions for AAV type certification

EHang Holdings Limited, the world's leading autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology company, announced that China’s civil aviation authority has formally adopted the Special Conditions for EH216-S AAV Type Certification.

The guideline, taking effect on Feb 9, sets a standard for the global Urban Air Mobility (UAM) sector for the first time.

The Special Conditions, approved by Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), will provide EHang with the basis for compliance and safety of EH216-S AAVs, including flight performance, structures, design and constructions, propulsion systems, systems and equipment, data link and ground control station.

The company expects to deploy the EH216-S unmanned aircraft system in low-altitude passenger-carrying commercial operations in the UAM sector.

In the first half of 2020, more than $900 million was invested by startups in the UAM sector – an increase of more than 20-fold when compared to the whole of 2016 -- when just $40 million was reported, according to a report by Roland Berger.

The report also predicts the segment of manned UAM, or expansion of urban transport systems into the airspace, to reach an annual market potential of $90 billion by 2050.