EHang EH216-S Conducts First Urban Human-Carrying Pilotless eVTOL Flights in the Middle East, Partnering with Qatar's Ministry of Transport
DOHA, Qatar, Nov. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EHang (NASDAQ:EH), the world's leading Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technology platform company, announced the successful completion of a landmark series of trial air taxi flights, including point-to-point and human-carrying flights, with its EH216-S pilotless electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the core district of Doha, Qatar. Conducted in close partnership with Qatar's Ministry of Transport, these pioneering point-to-point flights between the Port of Doha and the Katara Cultural Village, a prominent landmark in the heart of the city, represent the first urban flights of a pilotless eVTOL aircraft in the Middle East, setting a new benchmark for the future of AAM across the region.
Image: EH216-S flying between Port of Doha and Katara
The trial operation campaign demonstrated the real-world potential and future commercial operation value of the EH216-S in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) scenarios through point-to-point flights between the Port of Doha and Katara Cultural Village—two prominent urban landmarks. This strategic route served as proof of concept for aerial shuttle service connecting transport hubs with key urban destinations. More than just a test flight, it showcased a visionary model for intermodal connectivity, seamlessly linking maritime and aerial transport to bypass ground congestion—transforming a 30-minute car journey into a sustainable, 8-minute flight. It also provides a global reference—the EHang model—for scenario-based flight in advanced air mobility.
Image: EH216-S flying between Port of Doha and Katara
Image: EH216-S conducts human-carrying flights in Qatar
These flights marked the first point-to-point flight of the EH216-S pilotless eVTOL in an urban environment in the Middle East, underscoring the technical maturity and operational readiness of EHang´s pilotless eVTOL systems for real-world deployment. It will provide valuable references for civil aviation regulators in the Middle East and other countries worldwide to formulate and promote the improvement of policies and regulations, strengthens the confidence of operators of the EH216-S, and will accelerate the global commercialization of EHang's pilotless human-carrying eVTOLs.
Executed with the operational authorization from the QCAA, and the strategic support of the MOT of the State of Qatar, this flights reflect Qatar's pioneering vision to lead smart and sustainable mobility solutions in line with its Qatar National Vision 2030.
Strategic Cooperation for AAM Development in the Region
The achievement is the result of close collaboration between EHang, the MOT of Qatar, and the QCAA, working hand-in-hand to ensure the regulatory, safety, and operational readiness of this project.
Minister of Transport of the State of Qatar, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani, described the trial operation as a new milestone in the State of Qatar's journey of adopting smart and sustainable mobility solutions and constitutes an advanced step forward toward a future enabled by innovation and environment-friendly technologies, something that emphasizes MOT's commitment to enhancing Qatar's regional and international pioneering position in modern transportation and supporting national efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve the quality of life.
Image: The Minister of Transport and Ms. Victoria Jing Xiang, COO for Europe&LatAm at EHang with EH216-S
Image: The MOT and EHang executives witness EH216-S flight
Image: The MOT and EHang executives with EH216-S
This initiative, he said, is a true translation of the MOT Strategy 2025-2030 that aims at creating a smart, resilient transportation system where sustainability, innovation, and integration between various transportation modes are front and center, thereby boosting the efficiency of the country's transportation system and advancing the goals of the Third National Development Strategy (NDS3) and Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV2030).
A Shared Vision for Scalable and Intelligent Urban Air Mobility
Ms. Victoria Jing Xiang, Chief Operating Officer for Europe&LatAm at EHang stated, "These groundbreaking flights mark the first-ever trial operations of a pilotless eVTOL aircraft for passenger transport in a Middle Eastern city center. We sincerely thank the MOT and the Civil Aviation Authority of Qatar for their vision, support, and trust. Together, we are building a safe, intelligent, and efficient regional AAM ecosystem."
Next Steps: Toward Strategic AAM Deployment in Qatar
These flights campaign is intended to pave the way for a strategic alliance between EHang and the MOT of Qatar to jointly develop and deploy AAM solutions. The pilotless air taxi project will be carried out in several consecutive phases, considering all relevant technical, operational, and regulatory requirements. This includes infrastructure readiness, approval of operational systems, and meeting all safety, security and quality standards to ensure the new mobility system can be safely and effectively integrated into the nation's mobility network. Key focus areas for future development will include shuttle services between airport and urban centers; air taxi corridors serving tourism and high-traffic zones; and integration of eVTOL systems into Qatar's multimodal transport strategy.
Image: EH216-S Flying in the city of Doha
Image: EH216-S successfully conducts human-carrying flights in Qatar
With this milestone, the MOT of Qatar will continue assessing the test results and lay down the regulatory and technical frameworks needed for approving and operating that type of mobility in line with best international standards and in a way that enhances Qatar's position as a leading global hub in adopting smart and sustainable technologies.
About EHang
EHang (NASDAQ:EH) is the world's leading advanced air mobility ("AAM") technology platform company, committed to making safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone. The company develops and manufactures a diversified portfolio of pilotless electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for a wide range of use cases, including aerial tourism, intra-city transport, intercity travel, logistics and emergency firefighting. Its flagship model, EH216-S, has obtained the world's first type certificate, production certificate and standard airworthiness certificate for pilotless eVTOL issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and is now commercially operated under the country's first Air Operator Certificates for human-carrying eVTOL services. Complementing this, EHang's VT35 expands its reach into long-range and intercity scenarios, supporting the development of a multi-tiered low-altitude mobility network. By integrating advanced autonomous technologies with scalable operational infrastructure, EHang is redefining how people and goods move—across cities, regions, and natural barriers—shaping the future of air mobility. For more information, please visit www.ehang.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about management's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to those relating to certifications, our expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, our products and solutions and the commercialization of UAM services, our relationships with strategic partners, and current litigation and potential litigation involving us. Management has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While they believe these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond management's control. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause EHang's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
Investor Contact: [email protected]
Media Contact: [email protected]
Photo accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d128d3aa-b70d-499e-b4e7-46f29d9957fe
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2ca595fd-00f4-4997-a3f5-e94962a739ef
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/44801af7-e22a-4e6a-a04d-2313fd52d947
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68ce7cb3-be20-46dc-9303-da1519a47d66
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/087456cb-4c95-4f94-a269-e4226b2c5d8e
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cd170149-33cb-4ebd-af63-067888d61f12
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/71a35f88-507e-473a-89ae-23a756c7900b
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/568d65d7-22a8-4d19-bcf2-ef4db0feddee
