On February 21, EHang reported that on February 17, the EHang EH216-S model project airworthiness certification review seminar and operation review combined work arrangement meeting were successfully held in Hezhou, Guangxi.
The meetings were attended by leaders and experts including:
Yin Shijun, chief engineer of Civil Aviation Administration of China (hereinafter referred to as “CAAC”),
Luo Yiming, Deputy Director of Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Department of CAAC,
Fan Yongping, deputy director of the Central South Regional Administration of Civil Aviation of China (hereinafter referred to as “CAAC Central South Bureau”),
Xu Ji, director of the Civil Aviation Guangxi Supervision Bureau,
Liao Xiaohan, director of the UAV Application and Control Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, etc.
Deputy Director Luo Yiming presided over the meetings.
The two meetings respectively focused on the type certification (TC) work of EHang EH216-S passenger autonomous aircraft system and the next step of combined operation and review work, and put forward important guidance for the airworthiness certification and operation of the EHang EH216-S project.
At the EH216-S Airworthiness Review Seminar, EHang reported the project’s certification work, the review team reported the project review, and the CAAC Central South Bureau reported the project review organization. CAAC Chief Engineer Yin Shijun fully recognized the progress of EHang’s EH216-S model certification work, and put forward five work requirements of “high attention, safety assurance, innovation advancement, efficient integration, and continuous improvement”.
Fan Yongping, deputy director of the CAAC Central South Bureau, and Xu Ji, director of the Civil Aviation Guangxi Supervision Bureau, spoke at the seminar respectively, expressing encouragement and support for the development of the EHang project.
Yin Shijun said at the meeting that the EHang EH216-S type certification project is of great significance to promoting the passenger autonomous aviation industry. All parties should innovate review methods, balance risks and responsibilities, and continue to improve project management capabilities and risk control capabilities, continue to carry out the airworthiness review work according to the plan, strengthen the follow-up and resolution of major problems, and accelerate the airworthiness certification work of EHang EH216-S.
At the arrangement meeting for the combination of review and operation, the CAAC Central South Bureau, the Flight Standard Department, the Airworthiness Department and the Air Traffic Management Office of the Civil Aviation Administration gave constructive opinions on the combination of EHang EH216-S review and operation from their respective professional perspectives, put forward specific work requirements, and provided guidance and guarantee for the safe operation of the EHang EH216-S innovation project.
At the meeting, members of the expert group also exchanged opinions on the field inspection of the Hezhou civil UAV aviation test zone. Kuang Yonghong, deputy mayor of Hezhou City, attended the meeting, and made work arrangements for the construction and operation guarantee work of the UAV test base (test area) in the next step.
“This matter is very meaningful, and all parties must continue to work together to allow passenger autonomous aviation to fly in Hezhou as soon as possible!” Yin Shijun affirmed the smooth progress of EHang’s passenger autonomous aircraft TC certification project at the work arrangement meeting for the combination of review and operation, pointed out that the achievements of the project are inseparable from the Central South Bureau and the Hezhou Municipal Government’s emphasis on the autonomous aviation industry and support, and also inseparable from the efforts of all experts in the review team and EHang Company.
At the meeting, Yin Shijun put forward three opinions on the TC certification project of EHang EH216-S and the combination of review and operation.
The first is to strengthen confidence and unswervingly promote the high-quality development of the autonomous aviation industry;
The second is to combine review and operation, and become the pioneer of passenger autonomous aviation;
The third is to unite and cooperate to achieve the goal as soon as possible.
Yin Shijun said: “The autonomous aviation industry is in line with the requirements put forward in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on opening up new fields and new tracks for development and forming new growth drivers and new advantages, and will play an increasingly important role in the future economic and social development. China has a leading edge in the field of autonomous aviation. We must try first, maintain and give play to our leading edge, and continue to grow the autonomous aviation industry.”
On the day of the meeting, Chief Engineer Yin Shijun also led a team to inspect the airworthiness certification test flight of EHang EH216-S in the Hezhou civil UAV aviation test area, and the flight base of EHang in Hezhou, during which he had a detailed understanding and on-site inspection of the design, production, test, stability and safety of the EH216-S aircraft system.
Hezhou, Guangxi is the first batch of civil UAV aviation test areas of CAAC. On the same day, the construction and operation work exchange meeting of the Hezhou experimental zone was also held simultaneously in Hezhou. Kuang Yonghong, deputy mayor of Hezhou City, also said that Hezhou City will give full play to the advantages of the pilot zone, and through the demonstration operation of EHang EH216-S in the pilot zone, it will form replicable and scalable experience, and continue to promote it to the whole country and even the world.
Recently, EHang’s EH216-S project airworthiness review team conducted centralized office work at EHang Hezhou base, and carried out review work on compliance verification data, test/flight test program, test and flight test, etc., and solidly promoted the EH216-S model project progress.