The twin-engine aircraft, with a wingspan of 16.1 meters and a height of 4.6 meters, capable of carrying two metric tons of cargo, took off for its first flight in southwest Sichuan province and travelled for twenty minutes.
China has successfully tested the largest unmanned cargo drone developed by state-funded Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation Co., significantly advancing its low-altitude economy. By creating larger drones for expanded commercial use, the country aims to establish a USD 279 billion drone industry by 2030.
The trial flight came after a cargo drone manufactured by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), the country's top aerospace company, made its first flight in June 2024. The AVIC’s HH-100 has an impressive cargo capacity of 700 kilograms and a flight radius of 520 kilometers. Next year, AVIC intends to test the TP2000, its largest cargo drone, which can fly four times farther than the HH-100 and carry up to two tons of cargo.
China's first certification for an autonomous passenger drone was given to Guangzhou-based EHang Holdings, a manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in April. This was the first certification of its kind for a passenger drone in China.
Additionally, China is involved in establishing Air Taxi Services. A manned commercial passenger helicopter made its inaugural flight from Kunshan to Shanghai Pudong Airport on a 100-kilometre route with one-way rates of up to 1,800 yuan, which is soon to be open to the public on 18 August 2024. Up to 30,000 passengers are expected to use the route annually, cutting the travel time between the cities to 20 minutes from several hours.
