The test used its CarryAll (V2000CG), an unmanned electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, to move freshly harvested tea between the cities of Anshun and Guiyang, roughly 120km apart.

The combined use of aircraft and rail allowed the tea to reach consumers within 24 hours of harvesting, offering a different way to move time-sensitive agricultural products from remote regions.

The aircraft supports a maximum payload of 400kg and has a range of up to 200km, with a cruise speed of about 180km/h, making it suited to medium-distance cargo routes where roads are slow or unreliable.

Vertical takeoff and landing capability removes the need for runways, allowing operations from compact pads near farms or logistics hubs, which could simplify deployment in mountainous or isolated areas.

AutoFlight said the CarryAll (V2000CG) holds Type, Production, and Airworthiness Certificates from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, making it one of the earliest large cargo eVTOL platforms to reach that stage of regulatory approval.

“This innovative ‘autonomous eVTOL air transfer + high-speed rail trunk line’ model breaks logistics bottlenecks in high-altitude mountainous areas. AutoFlight will join hands with more partners to extend this efficient, green autonomous cargo model to more specialty agricultural producing areas," said Li Yun, CCO of AutoFlight.