EHang has established a strategic alliance with the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC).
Leveraging the CAFUC’s profound background in aviation education, research, and talent development, both entities will collaborate on developing skilled professionals, including operators and maintenance personnel for EHang’s autonomous eVTOL aircraft.
The collaboration encompasses training personnel and securing operational licenses. The partnership seeks to address the escalating workforce requirements in the low-altitude economic sector and support the robust, sustainable growth of the civil UAV industry.
During a government briefing on October 8th, 2024, Chunlin Li, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), emphasized the expanding low-altitude economy and increasing demand for UAV professionals. Industry projections suggest China may face a personnel shortage approaching 1 million in this domain. The NDRC remains committed to generating employment opportunities and propelling the advancement of emerging strategic industries, including the low-altitude economic landscape and future technological sectors.
The CAFUC, an educational institution co-established by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and Sichuan Province’s government, is renowned as the “Nursery of Chinese Civil Aviation Pilots”. As an innovative academic institution, the CAFUC was among the first in China to introduce a UAV system engineering program. The university has been instrumental in developing pilot licensing frameworks, crafting regulations and standards, and establishing training protocols for civil UAV operators.
The two organizations will create an innovative framework for industry-academic-research collaboration. They plan to launch a demonstration program for large civil UAV operator license management, guided by the CAAC. By integrating academic education with vocational training, graduates will obtain comprehensive licenses for large UAVs and specific EH216-S operator credentials, ensuring a consistent pipeline of eVTOL operational management professionals.
Furthermore, they intend to establish a dedicated training institution to address the industry’s talent deficit by jointly offering operator and maintenance staff licenses for large civil UAVs. Moving forward, based on practical commercial operational experiences, EHang and CAFUC will actively contribute to regulatory and standard development in the large civil UAV sector under CAAC leadership.
Qingru Tang, Vice President of the CAFUC said; “The CAFUC has a comprehensive system to train urgently-needed talents in areas such as flight, operations, maintenance, flight management, and emergency response for the low-altitude economy. We will leverage our high-quality educational resources and extensive teaching experience to support EHang’s talent pool and research capabilities, offering students a platform for growth and advancing UAV technology and innovation for the low-altitude economy.”
Zhao Wang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang, added; “A comprehensive ecosystem for safe operation of UAVs requires continuous investment in professional talent development, establishing a new civil aviation talent development system that meets industry needs. Our partnership with CAFUC will focus on improving industry awareness, professional knowledge, core skills, psychological quality, safety awareness, and policy understanding during the courses, and will develop a systematic, professional, and multi-dimensional talent cultivation program. Through systematic teaching at professional institutions, it will further solidify and enhance professionals’ understanding safety systems for UAVs.
“As a trailblazer in the low-altitude economy, EHang will provide course instruction and technical support for UAVs, and work with the CAFUC to build a robust platform for industry-academic integration. Together, we will advance talent cultivation, license training, standard formulation, and innovative outcome transformation, to cultivate high-level talents with professional skills and innovative spirit in the field of large UAVs. This will also enable us to make sufficient preparations for the upcoming commercial operations of EH216-S pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOLs and provide support for the rapid development of China’s low-altitude economy and the global eVTOL industry.”
By combining their strengths, EHang and CAFUC are positioned to drive talent development, license training, standard formulation, and innovative outcome transformation in the emerging eVTOL industry.
