Chinese air mobility company EHang has launched a sandbox initiative with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) a to fast-track commercial operations of pilotless eVTOL aircraft in the country.

Continuous trial operations with EHang’s EH216-S eVTOL have commenced at the first sandbox area in Bangkok, with plans to expand to more sandbox areas across Thailand.

During this month’s launch event, the EH216-S completed a series of point-A-to-B autonomous flights with consistent stability, demonstrating its integrated flight control systems and operational reliability. The event gathered senior officials from the CAAT and the Ministry of Transport (MoT) of Thailand, along with industry partners including Aerial Sea Ventures, Energy Absolute, Amita Technology, G Capital, China Harbour Engineering, Bangkok Airways, VietJet and Tahira Group from Malaysia.

EHang also held a technical meeting with CAAT officials, presenting the EH216-S’s safety architecture, unmanned aircraft traffic management integration, risk assessment framework and flight-testing methods. This multi-party collaboration with the initiative represents a step towards gaining local regulatory approval for future commercial operations in sandbox areas across Thailand.

Under the initiative, EHang’s local partners will provide essential operational support, ranging from infrastructure to operational teams. The plan is to expand the sandbox areas to Pattaya, Koh Larn, Phuket, Koh Samui and other locations in Thailand for more sightseeing flight routes and transportation services.

Thailand, south-east Asia’s second-largest economy, represents a vital autonomous air mobility (AAM) market. This is driven by its strong service sector, thriving tourism industry, and proactive government policies promoting smart transportation and sustainable technology. The country’s densely populated urban areas and persistent traffic congestion make it a suitable for deploying AAM.

Major cities such as Bangkok are particularly well-suited for air taxi services, offering market potential that was clearly demonstrated last November when the EH216-S conducted three days of human-carrying flights in central Bangkok, showcasing its practical capabilities in real-world AAM applications.

“We are highly impressed with the cutting-edge technology and demonstrated safety of EHang’s EH216-S during these flights,” said Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon, director general of the CAAT (www.caat.or.th). “At the CAAT, we are guiding Thailand’s transition into a new era of AAM, where safety and public trust remain our highest priorities. Through our prove-it-safe-then-scale approach, we have explored a clear path towards commercial operations, with the target of launching the world’s first commercial eVTOL operation services within the next three months leveraging the initiative. The future of AAM in Thailand will be safe by design, ambitious in vision and realised through tangible action.”

Panya Chupanit, deputy permanent secretary of the MoT of Thailand (www.mot.go.th), added: “The MoT is fully committed to advancing sustainable transportation, and the development of AAM technology – exemplified by EHang’s innovative eVTOL – is integral to this vision. We are working closely with partners across sectors to position Thailand as a regional AAM hub, in line with our national goals for carbon neutrality and smart, connected cities.”

And Conor Yang, chief financial officer of EHang, said: “This demonstration showcased not only routine flight capabilities but also the core safety principles integral to our certified EH216-S aircraft. The AAM sandbox initiative in Thailand serves as a pivotal model for the region. Our goal is to leverage the operational and regulatory framework established here as a blueprint for expansion into other south-east Asian markets, bringing safe, sustainable AAM to the wider region globally.”

Watch a video of EH216-S pilotless eVTOL flights at the first sandbox area in Bangkok, Thailand, at youtu.be/Sl2Ahh7-3T8.

EHang (www.ehang.com) is an AAM technology platform company, committed to making safe, autonomous and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone.