EHang’s EH216-S completed its first people-carrying flights in Mexico and Latin America on May 1, operating at Tulum International Airport during the FAMEX aerospace show under a Special Airworthiness Certificate granted by Mexico’s civil aviation authority, AFAC.
The flights were conducted by local operator partner Air Mobility, whose CEO Cristina Lara flew aboard the aircraft — the first woman in Mexico and Latin America to fly a pilotless eVTOL. EHang framed the milestone as validation of its regulatory strategy in the region: the operational framework developed with AFAC covers concept of operations, risk assessment, crew licensing, and airworthiness documentation, the same building blocks required before any commercial service can launch.
What Mexico Offers EHang That China Doesn’t
EHang holds the world’s first type certificate, production certificate, and standard airworthiness certificate for a pilotless eVTOL — all issued by China’s CAAC — and operates commercially there under air operator certificates. The challenge is exporting that regulatory credibility to markets where its certifications don’t transfer directly.
Mexico is a more tractable market than Europe or the US for that reason. Tourism corridors between airports and resort destinations like Tulum represent a straightforward commercial use case, regulators have shown willingness to engage, and the infrastructure requirements are minimal compared to dense urban environments. EHang’s path to revenue outside China runs through markets that will move faster than the FAA or EASA.
The demonstrated routes — airport-to-city and airport-to-resort shuttles — match the operating profile the EH216-S is designed for: short hops, low altitude, no pilot onboard. Whether AFAC converts the current special airworthiness framework into a full operational certificate will determine whether these demonstration flights translate into scheduled service.
