Flying into the future: EHang completes first autonomous passenger flights in Indonesia
EHang marks a milestone for its eVTOL with the successful completion of uncrewed passenger flights in Indonesia.
With electric take-off and landing (eVTOL) test flights accelerating across the globe, Chinese…
June 26, 2025
EHang marks a milestone for its eVTOL with the successful completion of uncrewed passenger flights in Indonesia.
With electric take-off and landing (eVTOL) test flights accelerating across the globe, Chinese developer eHang successfully completed pilotless, passenger flights on its EH216-S on 25 June.
Supported by Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the flights signal a major step forward for advanced air mobility (AAM). The EH216-S is the world’s first and so far the only pilotless human-carrying eVTOL to obtain all the required certifications from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Since achieving type certification from Chinese authorities in late 2023, the EH216-S has flown passenger missions in Thailand, Spain and multiple Chinese regions and is the world’s “first commercially available pilotless eVTOL.”
Operated by Prestige Aviation, the EH216-S is a two-seat autonomous eVTOL with a flight range of up to 30km and a top speed of approximately 130km/h. It is powered by 16 electric motors mounted on eight arms. The test flights on 25 June were operated by Prestige Aviation, EHang’s local partner in Indonesia, with passengers participating in the test flights including Rudy Salim, Prestige Aviation’s executive chairman, as well as Raffi Ahmad, the Indonesian President’s special envoy.
Air taxis for the land of a thousand islands
Speaking during a ceremony to mark the test flights, Ahmad said: “It is hoped that this technology can provide a more environmentally friendly air transportation solution and help reduce congestion in major cities in Indonesia.”
Known as the “Land of a thousand islands”, Indonesia offers huge potential for short-haul air connectivity across its archipelago. EHang’s collaboration with Indonesia dates back to November 2021, when it conducted the country’s first pilotless eVTOL flight at Villa Blackstone Beach in Bali.
Prestige Aviation’s Rudy Salim noted that the latest test flights demonstrate how “Indonesia is ushering in a new chapter in its transportation development history.
“This innovation represents Indonesia’s major leap toward a future of safe, eco-friendly and efficient air mobility. The innovation of the EH216-S is not only a symbol of technological progress, but it is also a call to action for Indonesia’s youth and industry leaders to innovate and create solutions tailored to national needs.”
What the test flights means for Indonesia?
Describing the flight event as a “key step in advancing EHang’s global strategy, ”Conor Yang, EHang’s CFO said: “We believe this technology can help to alleviate Indonesia’s traffic congestion while offering effective solutions in tourism, sightseeing and emergency rescue.”
Looking forward, EHang will now actively work alongside Indonesian regulators, clients and partners to “explore Urban Air Mobility (UAM) development models suited to local needs, promote local certifications and leverage EHang’s proven expertise in scalable, standardised and commercial eVTOL operations to facilitate the development of UAM ecosystem in Indonesia.”
