EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) (“EHang” or the “Company”), the world’s leading autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company, today announced that the company obtained operational flight permit for its two-seater passenger-grade AAV, the EHang 216, from the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway (CAA Norway). This is the first operational flight permit for long term testing flight of EHang 216 in Europe, laying a solid foundation for future urban air mobility (UAM) operations in other EU countries.

After the assessment of test flight plans and contingency plans, the CAA Norway issued an operational flight permit for EHang 216 to conduct flights together with a local customer for the purpose of testing and certification. According to CAA Norway, it believes the country ’s geographic conditions suit the testing of unmanned aircraft well. Covered with a long strip of land with abundance of sparsely populated areas and free airspace, the country has started to build a network of small airports since 1960’s, connecting most territories throughout the country. For the test flight of EHang 216, CAA Norway looks forward to witnessing it at Elvenes airport.

Bente Heggedal, the Head of section for unmanned aviation, CAA Norway commented, “EHang is an exciting and forward-looking project that shows the rapid development of UAM and AAV technology by today. The autonomous passenger aircrafts of the future can contribute to more efficient transport, particularly in urban areas, and the electric models are a great contribution to the green shift. We look forward to EHang demonstrating a well-proven and secure system, so that passenger AAVs can be a safe alternative for passenger transport.”

Surrounded by sea on three sides and rich in oil and gas (O&G) resources, Norway is a big exporter of O&G. According to Norway’s 2020 National Budget, its oil industry contributes to 14% of its GDP and one fifth of the national income. In addition, an economic survey by Statistics Norway projected the country’s total oil investment to reach $18.3 billion in 2020, accounting for 19% of the nation’s total investment.

At present, Norwegian offshore drilling platforms are still using helicopters for various transportation tasks such as personnel, spare parts, supplies, and O&G samples, which resulting in high cost in fuel and labors.