In the golden autumn season, Hefei Luogang Park is bustling with visitors. At the Urban Air Mobility Operations Center within the park, the EH216-S unmanned passenger aircraft operated by Heyi Aviation slowly starts its rotors. With a faint hum, the aircraft lifts off and hovers above Luogang Park, drawing excited onlookers who capture the moment on their phones.
"It's incredible! Who would have thought this former civil aviation airport would become a testing ground for 'flying taxis'? Luogang Park gives off such futuristic vibes," said Ms. Li, a tourist from Huainan, who recalled taking flights from Luogang Airport as a child and now witnesses "air travel" turning from imagination into reality.
The EH216-S, operated by Heyi Aviation, is the world's first fully certified unmanned electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, having obtained the Type Certificate (TC), Standard Airworthiness Certificate (AC), and Production Certificate (PC) from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. In March this year, Heyi Aviation secured the Operation Certificate (OC), marking the official launch of large-scale commercial low-altitude passenger flights.
"Leveraging the Luogang Park Air Mobility Operations Center, we will gradually roll out commercial low-altitude sightseeing operations with the EH216-S, creating a model for the low-altitude economy," said Li Xiaona, Vice President of EHang and General Manager of Heyi Aviation. The park integrates not only passenger aircraft but also drones for food delivery, logistics, and autonomous sightseeing vehicles, forming an interconnected ecosystem of unmanned scenarios.
This "unmanned" ecosystem stems from Luogang Park's unique background. Once the site of Hefei Luogang Airport, the 12.7-square-kilometer park has been transformed into a "super lab" for urban-level unmanned systems. It hosts China's first comprehensive land, sea, and air unmanned demonstration project, combining applications like unmanned inspections, logistics, urban air mobility, and smart governance. The park has completed thousands of safe flights and logged over 13,000 kilometers of autonomous vehicle operations.
Hefei's "Full-Space Unmanned System" initiative, supported by the International Advanced Technology Application Promotion Center (Hefei), fosters an ecosystem driven by platforms, scenarios, and policy support. From "flying taxis" in Luogang Park to autonomous sightseeing vehicles, from rapid medical sample transport to smart unmanned boats on Chaohu Lake, the unmanned system is accelerating its integration into daily life in Hefei's "super testing ground."
In recent years, Hefei has prioritized scenario innovation to drive development, implementing large-scale demonstrations of new technologies, products, and applications as a key strategy for fostering advanced productive forces. In September, the city released the "Hefei Scenario Application Demonstration Action Plan (2025–2027)," aiming to establish a nationally leading scenario service system by 2027. The plan seeks to create a virtuous cycle of "technological breakthroughs—scenario validation—industrial application—system upgrades," positioning Hefei as a national model for scenario-driven innovation.
Cheng Yu, Executive Director of the International Advanced Technology Application Promotion Center (Hefei), emphasized the center's mission to cultivate new productive forces by fostering collaborative, scenario-driven innovation. By focusing on unmanned logistics, smart cities, and embodied intelligence, the center aims to accelerate the transition of lab breakthroughs into real-world applications while promoting industry standards and open collaboration to spur technological and industrial innovation.