EHang has announced that the launch of an AAM Sandbox Initiative in Thailand, in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and local partners.
“The Initiative aims to fast-track the future commercial operations of EHang’s EH216-S pilotless eVTOL aircraft in the country, with the goal of establishing the world’s first commercial eVTOL operations using an innovative regulatory approach of “sandbox”,” said the company in a press release. “Today, continuous trial operations with EH216-S have successfully commenced at the first sandbox area in Bangkok, with plans to expand to more sandbox areas across Thailand.
On October 15 the EH216-S completed a series of point-A-to-point-B flights. The event gathered senior officials from the CAAT and the Ministry of Transport (“MOT”) of Thailand, along with key industry partners including Aerial Sea Ventures, Energy Absolute, Amita Technology, G Capital, China Harbour Engineering Company, Bangkok Airways, VietJet, and Tahira Group from Malaysia, “all of whom witnessed firsthand the EH216-S’s proven readiness for commercial deployment.”
EHang also held a technical meeting with CAAT officials, presenting the EH216-S’s comprehensive safety architecture, Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) integration, risk assessment framework, and flight-testing methodology. “This multi-party collaboration with the Initiative represents a significant step toward gaining local regulatory approval for future commercial operations in sandbox areas across Thailand,” said the company.
“Under the Initiative, EHang’s local partners will provide essential operational support, ranging from infrastructure to operational teams. They plan to expand the sandbox areas to Pattaya, Koh Larn, Phuket, Koh Samui and many other locations in Thailand for more sightseeing flight routes and transportation services.”
“We are highly impressed with the cutting-edge technology and demonstrated safety of EHang’s EH216-S during these flights,” said Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon, Director General of the CAAT. “At the CAAT, we are guiding Thailand’s transition into a new era of AAM, where safety and public trust remain our highest priorities. Through our ‘prove it safe, then scale’ approach, we have explored a clear path toward commercial operations, with the target of launching the world’s first commercial eVTOL operation services within the next three months leveraging the Initiative. The future of AAM in Thailand will be safe by design, ambitious in vision, and realized through tangible action.”
Panya Chupanit, Deputy Permanent Secretary of MOT of Thailand, said: “The MOT is fully committed to advancing sustainable transportation, and the development of AAM technology—exemplified by EHang’s innovative eVTOL solutions—is integral to this vision. We are working closely with partners across sectors to position Thailand as a regional AAM hub, in line with our national goals for carbon neutrality and smart, connected cities. ”
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