EHang makes first uncrewed eVTOL flight in Europe
March 3, 2025
Chinese eVTOL manufacturer EHang has made the first urban flight of a pilotless eVTOL aircraft in Europe, describing its EH216-S flight in Benidorm, Spain as “a pivotal step in the future of urban aviation”.
Although EHang has been conducting numerous demonstration flights to date, its uncrewed aircraft (as yet uncertified outside China) had, notably, not yet flown in Europe. This was remedied on 28 February, with the milestone flight marking not just a first for the company but also symbolising the first time a pilotless eVTOL aircraft has taken to European skies.
The flight was conducted as part of the European Union’s U-ELCOME (U-space European Common Deployment) programme, co-ordinated by pan-European air traffic management provider Eurocontrol. Conducted in a dedicated U-Space (uncrewed) environment, the aircraft was operated simultaneously alongside up to 12 additional drones; managed through Spain’s ANSP provider Enaire.
Eurocontrol project manager Patricia Hervias emphasized that the demonstration “highlighted the capability of U-space services, enhancing emergency response and operational efficiency in complex urban environments;” alluding to potential use cases beyond sightseeing or tourist missions. Enaire head of international business development and leader of Spanish U-ELCOME cluster Gonzalo Alonso added that the demonstration was “one of the most advanced in Europe,” made possible with multiple U-space service providers.
The Mayor of Benidorm Antonio Pérez, meanwhile, expressed his optimism that EHang’s two-seat aircraft will be introduced into the Spanish municipality, with the “successful integration of Urban Air Mobility Solutions [representing] a major step in [Benidorm’s] commitment to smarter, cleaner, and more efficient transportation systems”.
Launched in November 2022, the three-year U-ELCOME product is co-ordinated by the Eurocontrol Innovation hub and brings together 51 European partners; aiming to “help get Europe-wide U-space implementation off the ground by fostering a fully scalable market uptake of U1 and U2 U-space services through a set of tests and demonstrations in various operational environments across 15 locations”.
