Chinese electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer EH.US announced on Monday that it will expand its business to the United Arab Emirates. It will collaborate with local companies in the UAE to join the Abu Dhabi "Intelligent and Automated Transportation Industry (SAVI) Cluster" and is expected to receive orders for 100 eVTOL aircraft.
The SAVI cluster built in Masdar City, led by the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Economic Development and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, is committed to making Abu Dhabi an important hub for intelligent and automated transportation.
This time, Yihang Intelligence has reached a long-term strategic partnership with Technology Holding Company (THC), a technology enterprise under EIH Ethmar International Holding (EIH), to jointly promote the development of air traffic in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East and North Africa region, through manned pure electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and logistics technology subsidiary Wings Logistics Hub.
According to a press release from Yihang, a strategic partnership has been reached with Wings Logistics Hub to introduce Yihang's intelligent unmanned driving eVTOL to the United Arab Emirates.
As part of the strategic partnership, Wings Logistics Hub and Yihang Intelligence will jointly promote the certification and operation of the EH216 series eVTOL in the UAE, including EH216-S, EH216-L, and EH216-F, which can be applied in manned transportation, logistics transportation, and fire extinguishing scenarios respectively.
Wings Logistics Hub plans to purchase up to 100 EH216 series eVTOLs from Yihang Intelligence. The first batch will begin delivery in the first quarter of 2024.
Mohammed Al Dhaheri, a board member of Wings Logistics Hub, said, "Introducing electric aviation products in the UAE is expected to reduce traffic congestion, achieve zero emissions, and attract a large amount of foreign direct investment in the next decade, creating thousands of regional employment opportunities."
Yihang Intelligence has a leading unmanned electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) and has obtained the world's first unmanned eVTOL model certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The company has been listed on NASDAQ and currently has a market value of $1.045 billion.
Expanding its business to the United Arab Emirates is not an arbitrary move for Yihang Intelligence. In May of this year, it signed an agreement with local company Monarch Airplane Manufacturing to establish the first sustainable electric aircraft and drone production and operation facility in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi to meet passenger and freight needs. In addition, both sides will also specialize in developing command and control centers for independent urban air traffic technology and advanced air traffic (AAM) infrastructure.