Japan’s Gotemba Vertiport Hosts EH216-S Urban Demo Flight
The EH216-S has completed demonstrations in 17 Japanese cities.
EHang reported via its social media channels today that it successfully completed an autonomous EH216-S passenger flight at Gotemba Premium Outlets in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
The flight was conducted in partnership with Mitsubishi Estate, Mitsubishi Estate Simon, and AirX. The trio said in a joint statement that the October 30 flight lasted roughly four minutes, reached 36 km/h (22 mph), and flew at an altitude of about 40 meters (131 ft)..
The news follows a June 5 announcement from EHang that a new eVTOL vertiport, developed with AirX and Mitsubishi Estate Group, was completed on May 27 at Gotemba Premium Outlets near Mount Fuji.
The facility, known as the “Gotemba Premium Outlets Vertiport,” is the first vertiport in eastern Japan and is maintained in accordance with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Civil Aviation Bureau’s “Vertiport Maintenance Guidelines” (December 2023).
Developed under Mitsubishi Estate’s leadership with technical support from EHang, the vertiport is intended to support the future deployment of urban air mobility (UAM) services in the region, with EH216-S demo flights slated to begin this fall.
EHang said the Gotemba Premium Outlets site receives over ten million visitors annually and offers clear views of Mount Fuji. TVideo: EHang
With fall underway, EHang’s latest flight is described as Japan’s first autonomous passenger operation in an urban commercial area.
It was part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s “2024 Demonstration Project for Formulating Vertical Take-off and Landing Airport Planning Guidelines.”
AirX, a long-term partner of EHang in Japan, has collaborated on multiple eVTOL flights in locations including Hakuba Village, Oita, and Tsukuba, and co-established Japan’s first Urban Air Mobility Center in March 2024.
The Gotemba flight adds to this ongoing cooperation and provides operational experience for future commercial flights, EHang stated.
As of September 2025, the EH216-S has completed demonstrations in 17 Japanese cities.
EHang said it plans to expand international commercial operations, offering low-altitude passenger services at major tourist destinations and promoting the integration of advanced air mobility with tourism.