The CAAC’s aim with the program is to establish a risk-based UAV airworthy management system within the year. China’s President Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of accelerating regulation regarding UAVs with a focus on applications that will build upon China’s growing 5G networks.
In the issued Guidance on UAV Airworthiness Certification based on Operational Risks pilots participating in the program would be guided by three principles:
- Exploring a certification method by closely orchestrating hierarchical certifications with different levels of operational risks.
- Exploring a certification process by extracting CAAC certification standards and regulations from industrial standards.
- Exploring a certification mode with a more tolerant, open and service-oriented mind by encouraging UAV companies to jointly participate the airworthiness management through integrated information system.
Ehang will be assisting the CAAC in calculating the risks associated with AAV flights and establishing the standards with the regulator based on the test flight data from this year’s operations.
“EHang AAVs witness a major innovation and breakthrough of China’s UAV airworthiness management,” said HU Huazhi, EHang Founder & CEO. “The urban air mobility that EHang AAVs have explored and pioneered persistently is no longer a future concept, it is a to-be realized ‘China Innovation’. China and EHang have already become the forerunners in establishing a digitalized air eco-system with the innovative applications of urban air mobility, aerial logistics, smart city management, aerial media, and other commercial solutions.
As far back as 2017, EHang has been working with the CAAC as far back as 2017 when it was granted the AS9100C certification and special flight permit for civil aerial vehicles. With its paperwork in order in February of 2018, it conducted a successful public flight test.