China successfully test-flew its largest unmanned cargo aircraft designed for civilian use, marking a significant step in the nation’s development of autonomous aerial vehicles (UAVs) that could eventually transport everything from deliveries to passengers.

On Sunday, the twin-engine aircraft, with a payload capacity of 2 metric tons, took off on its inaugural flight, completing a 20-minute journey in southwestern Sichuan province, according to state media reports citing its developer, Sichuan Tengden Sci-tech Innovation Co.

China’s civilian drone manufacturers are testing drones with larger payloads as part of the government’s effort to develop a low-altitude economy. The aviation regulator projects this industry to grow to 2 trillion yuan (USD 279 billion) by 2030, a four-fold increase from 2023.

The government-funded Tengden builds this drone with a wingspan of 16.1 metres (52.8 feet) and stands 4.6 metres (15 feet) tall, making it slightly larger than the popular four-seat Cessna 172 light aircraft. Tengden’s test flight follows the June maiden flight of the HH-100, a cargo drone developed by AVIC with a payload capacity of 700 kg and a flight radius of 520 km.

AVIC will conduct tests for the largest cargo drone in the following year. TP2000 can carry up to 2 tons of cargo over a distance of 2,000 km. The government has identified the low-altitude economy as a new growth engine, and vertical mobility will hence play a huge driving role in aspects such as passenger transport and cargo delivery.

In April, aviation regulators in China awarded Guangzhou-based EHang Holdings the first production certificate for an autonomous passenger drone. Furthermore, in May, the Phoenix Wings, a part of SF Express, started using their Fengzhou-90s to transport fresh fruits from Hainan Province to Guangdong.

By 2023, over 2,000 Chinese companies were designing and manufacturing UAVs. Of these, DJI represented the largest drone maker in the world. One unit of USD converted to Chinese yuan renminbi is equal to CNY 7.18 as of August 12, 2024.

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