EHang Builds Momentum Across Europe and Asia
From Paris to Bangkok, EHang executed a week of diplomacy, demos, and political access that is shaping its global trajectory.
While EHang was absent from the exhibition halls of Aero Asia 2025, the eVTOL maker was quietly executing a different kind of mission. Its real presence was felt not on the static display floor, but in the realm of eVTOL diplomacy.
Today, EHang announced that its Chief Operating Officer Zhao Wang was invited to the closing ceremony of the 7th Meeting of the China–France Business Council, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron.
According to the manufacturer, Zhao participated in discussions with business leaders from both countries, focusing on global trends in advanced air mobility (AAM) and opportunities for bilateral cooperation in autonomous civilian aviation.
EHang said the engagement is expected to strengthen the foundation for the company’s expansion in the European market.
Days before the China–France Business Council meeting, EHang participated in the 2025 China–Sino French Aeronautics Day, hosted by the French Embassy in China.
The event brought together senior officials, including the Deputy Head of Mission and Civil Aviation and the Aerospace Counsellor, to promote dialogue and strengthen cooperation between China, Europe, and the global aviation sector.
EHang said it joined leading Chinese and French aviation organizations—including COMAC, AVIC, China Eastern Airlines, Airbus, Safran, Thales, and Dassault Aviation—to discuss industry trends such as MRO innovation, advanced air mobility, and the development of low-altitude networks.
During a roundtable on “Air Mobility Transformation in the Low-Altitude Economy Era,” EHang Vice President Tianxing He outlined the company’s work on eVTOL safety systems, airworthiness certification, commercial operations, low-altitude network planning, and international standardization.
He emphasized that combining traditional aviation with emerging low-altitude transport could accelerate the development of three-dimensional urban mobility and expand opportunities for collaboration between China and Europe in intelligent and sustainable aviation.
On December 1, the first large-scale demonstration flight in Europe for urban emergency response took place in Zaragoza.
In a separate development, EHang announced today that it had completed its first point-to-point urban emergency response flights under the EU U-Save Program in Zaragoza, Spain.
The flights were completed on December 1.
Details remain limited, and we will have to wait for an official press release; for now, the information comes from the video above.
The U-SAVE project has a modest budget of €499,700 (approximately USD 582,000) and is funded by EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a European Union agency.
Meanwhile, on November 24, EHang launched an urban “human-carrying” flight event in Bangkok under Thailand’s AAM Sandbox Initiative, in cooperation with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and local partners.
The demonstration, held at the Siam Commercial Bank headquarters in central Bangkok, included multiple takeoffs, landings, and route flights.
The event brought together senior government officials, business leaders, and media representatives, including Han Kok Juan, Director General of Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority, and Dr. Arak Sutivong, Deputy CEO of SCB X Public Company Limited.
According to EHang, the event marked the first overseas on-site demonstration and validation of the EH216-S’s emergency scenario safety capabilities.
Nine extreme scenario tests and four technical exchanges were carried out to assess the aircraft’s safety and commercial feasibility.
100 EHang aircraft across over 20 sandbox areas in Thailand by the end of 2026? Maybe.
EHang and CAAT’s UAM team conducted in-depth discussions covering flight safety, product technology, after-sales maintenance, and operating systems. CAAT reportedly recognized EHang’s capabilities in continuous airworthiness, technical support, spare parts supply, professional training, and rapid maintenance.
EHang said the flights demonstrated the EH216-S’s reliable performance and commercial readiness, helping to establish both a technical foundation and regulatory confidence for future operations in Thailand.
The company added that it has identified Thailand as a core overseas strategic market and plans to expand the Sandbox Initiative to additional urban and tourist areas—including Pattaya, Phuket, and Koh Samui—with the goal of building a low-altitude aerial network for urban commuting and tourism.
Author’s thoughts
What I’ve observed, particularly through the journey of its flagship EH216-S, is its evolution into a potent tool of soft power.
The EH216-S is less a cutting-edge marvel than a pragmatic demonstration vehicle. This approachable—even simple—eVTOL platform serves well as a tool for strategic alignment.
It is a tangible proof point for Urban Air Mobility, designed less to dominate a technical spec sheet than to spur cross-border cooperation, facilitate demo flights, collect operational data, and encourage regulatory harmonization.
Equally clever(ly), EHang has leveraged this role to raise its global profile over the years.
The company often benefits from what might be called “earned advocacy”—a form of free, credible exposure generated by industry stakeholders and observers worldwide who effectively become de facto ambassadors for its vision.
Final thoughts — Ultimately, EHang’s strategy reveals a distinct path. It advances its technological frontier not in isolation (or bullying), but through diplomatic demonstration.
By leveraging its aircraft as tools for partnership (and perhaps peace), the company prioritizes building the trust and regulatory alignment — without which the eVTOL era cannot take flight.