EHang completed a major milestone in the advanced air mobility with the unprecedented point-to-point urban flights of its EH216-S pilotless eVTOL, in the city heart of Zaragoza, Spain, representing the first emergency response urban flights of a pilotless eVTOL aircraft in Europe, and setting a new benchmark for emergency response solutions.
Today’s emergency response flights form part of the European Union’s U-SAVE (Urban Supply Aerial Vehicles for Emergencies) project, funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), and marks the achievement of the project’s final milestone. Over the past year, flights were conducted with various aircraft in controlled environments—both at EHang’s UAM (Urban Air Mobility) Center in Europe at Lleida-Alguaire International Airport and in Tartu, Estonia, with the support of EAVA (Estonian Aviation Academy), in close collaboration with stakeholders and urban emergency response service providers. Throughout the project, EHang’s EH216-S pilotless eVTOL aircraft system was seamlessly integrated with ANRA’s U-Space certified airspace management platform, delivering a fully turnkey UAM solution and enabling the deployment of UAM emergency response services within a unified digital ecosystem.
This landmark demonstration brought together government authorities, industry leaders, and media representatives, highlighting the accelerating momentum behind Urban Air Mobility adoption across Europe.
This demonstration marks the culmination of the U-SAVE project, following a year of close collaboration among highly esteemed partners and stakeholders from the industry, including the Aragonese Aerospace Cluster (“AERA”), the Aragonese Innovative Logistics Association (“ALIA”), ANRA Technologies and the Estonian Aviation Academy (“EAVA”). U-SAVE has also garnered support from public institutions like Zaragoza City Council, the Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences, Hernán Cortés Hospital Group, the Aragón Health Cluster, and the city of Tartu in Estonia, as well as endorsement from health and logistic private companies like Novaltia and Prolog.
These flights form part of the strategic collaboration between EHang and the Zaragoza City Council, formalized in 2021 to jointly promote the implementation of AAV demonstration projects in emergency response, passenger transportation, aerial tourism, aerial logistics and other application scenarios under the framework of UAM strategic partnership.
The event was presided by the Mayor of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca, who expressed “the pride of having in the city heart of Zaragoza unprecedented emergency response flight demonstrations.” She emphasized, “This is yet another example of our goal to position Zaragoza as a benchmark city in the development of new technologies that really help to improve the quality of life of our citizens.”
Ms. Victoria Jing Xiang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang Europe and Latin America, remarked “Through this unprecedented urban point-to-point emergency response flight, we demonstrate how EHang´s advanced pilotless eVTOL can provide a more efficient, agile, intelligent, and sustainable response to emergency situations. In critical moments, they can bypass urban congestion or access areas that are difficult to reach by land, ensuring that assistance arrives at the exact point of need in the shortest possible time. This contributes directly to improving quality of life and enhancing safety in our cities. At EHang, we reaffirm our commitment to innovation and to close collaboration with all our strategic partners to make advanced air mobility a reality.”
Mr. Marti Massot, Head of Innovation Hub South of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Urban Mobility, emphasized that U-SAVE “demonstrates the value of public-private collaboration and our commitment to supporting cities with innovative solutions that enhance their responsiveness in mobility and transportation.”
Mr. José Luis Rodrigo, Managing Director of Fundación Ibercaja, emphasized that “this flight performed by EHang— a company Fundación Ibercaja is proud to collaborate with— exemplifies their shared commitment to improving quality of life and fostering more sustainable, citizen-centered cities.”
ALIA President Eduardo Corella emphasized that U-SAVE is a clear example of international collaboration between companies and clusters, advancing pioneering and scalable logistics solutions.
With these successful aerial demonstrations in Zaragoza, EHang further advances the development of AAM, proving that safe and scalable urban eVTOL operations for emergency response are transitioning from concept to reality. This initiative aligns with the European Union’s broader efforts to establish a comprehensive regulatory and operational framework for the seamless integration of unmanned aerial systems and eVTOL aircraft into urban environments.
