EHang has completed an urban human-carrying flight event in Bangkok involving the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) as part of the country’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Sandbox Initiative.
On November 24th, the pilotless EH216-S aircraft executed a series of takeoffs, landings, and route flights at the headquarters of Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) in Bangkok’s central business district. During the event, Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon, Director General of CAAT, and Dr. Arak Sutivong, Deputy CEO of SCB X Public Company Limited, boarded the aircraft for a pilotless urban flight. This occurrence marks the first instance globally of a civil aviation authority chief experiencing a flight in a pilotless eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) vehicle.
The event served as an on-site demonstration to validate the aircraft’s safety capabilities under comprehensive emergency scenarios, marking the first time EHang has conducted such validations overseas. Prior to the public flight, EHang and the CAAT’s Urban Air Mobility team engaged in technical exchanges covering four core pillars: flight safety, product technology, after-sales maintenance, and operating systems. The collaboration involved verifying the commercial feasibility and safety of the EH216-S through nine extreme scenario tests. The CAAT team evaluated the company’s systematic support capabilities, ranging from continuous airworthiness and full-lifecycle technical support to spare parts supply and talent training.
Following this milestone, EHang intends to collaborate with local partners to expand the sandbox operational area to include popular destinations such as Pattaya, Phuket, and Koh Samui. The objective is to establish a diversified low-altitude route network facilitating both urban commuting and aerial tourism. The initiative aligns with Thailand’s preparation to host the 2026 Advanced Air Mobility Symposium organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), where the country aims to present a model for commercial AAM development.
Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon, Director General of CAAT, stated, “The advanced technology and autonomous safety performance demonstrated by the EH216-S are impressive. This flight demonstration represents not only a significant milestone in the development of AAM technologies which is expected to transform future air transportation systems, but forms part of Thailand’s ongoing efforts to become an Aviation Hub in the region. CAAT is committed to serving both as a regulator and a facilitator to ensure that modern aviation technologies can be safely and effectively implemented.
“We look forward to seeing Thailand achieve a breakthrough in establishing air routes connecting airports and urban areas. With the 2026 Advanced Air Mobility Symposium organized by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to be held in Thailand, we expect the country to become a global model for commercialization and large-scale development of AAM in 2026.”
Luong Pham of Aerial Sea venture, a supporting organization for the event, commented, “The EH216-S’s successful flight at core Bangkok landmarks such as the royal-owned SCB headquarters, coupled with the CAAT Director General’s personal participation, not only represents authoritative recognition of cutting-edge autonomous technology but also highlights Thailand’s strategic vision and commitment to embracing transportation innovation and developing its AAM ecosystem.”
Conor Yang, Chief Financial Officer of EHang, added, “This event represents a key practical achievement of EHang’s overseas strategy. By continuously advancing human-carrying flights under the Sandbox Initiative in core urban scenarios such as Bangkok, EHang will further assist the Thai government and CAAT in improving Thailand’s AAM operation and regulatory framework. With the support of the CAAT, Thailand is highly likely to achieve the world’s first commercial eVTOL operations using an innovative regulatory approach of “sandbox”, creating a demonstration model for Southeast Asia and the world. EHang will continue to provide advanced integrated air mobility solutions to benefit more countries across the globe.”
