AutoFlight V5000 Matrix Completes Mixed-Fleet Formation Flight and Launches Airworthiness Certification

21 May 2026 (Kunshan, China): AutoFlight has successfully completed a mixed-fleet formation flight of three aircraft, comprising one V5000 Matrix and two V2000 series aircraft. The mission conducted full-scale operational validation of critical interfaces between the 5-ton and 2-ton eVTOL platforms, covering communication links, route planning, flight coordination and safety control. It demonstrated AutoFlight’s system integration and engineering capabilities across multiple models, tonnages and mission scenarios, and generated valuable operational experience for multi-aircraft coordination in low-altitude logistics, emergency response, maritime support and regional air transport.

Since its public transition flight in February 2026, the V5000 Matrix has continued design optimisation. The cargo hybrid-electric variant, the V5000CGH, is now advancing through airworthiness certification on schedule, marking a decisive shift from R&D validation to a systematic, standardised approval process.

The V5000CGH has a maximum take-off weight of 5,700 kg, a maximum cruise speed of 280 km/h and a cargo volume exceeding 14 m³, accommodating two AKE standard air cargo containers. Maximum payload is 1.5 tonnes and maximum range is 1,500 km, enabling ton-class cargo transport over thousand-kilometre distances and providing a technical pathway for the low-altitude economy to scale from urban short-haul to regional long-haul logistics.

Payload capacity, operational range and cost efficiency remain the key constraints on mass deployment in the low-altitude economy. The V5000CGH addresses all three through its ultra-heavy payload, extended range and large-volume cargo hold, further expanding the operational envelope of eVTOL in high-value transportation.

The aircraft is suited to a range of demanding applications. In large-scale emergency rescue, it enables rapid delivery of rescue equipment, emergency supplies and medical materiel, strengthening post-disaster aerial response. In offshore energy and marine support, its cargo capacity and long endurance improve supply-chain efficiency for offshore installations, replacing slow maritime resupply with time-critical low-altitude delivery. In heavy feeder logistics, it supports interregional medium- to long-haul transport, extending low-altitude mobility from intercity links to interprovincial connectivity.

AutoFlight's 2-ton eVTOL, the V2000CG CarryAll, holds the full set of airworthiness certificates — TC, PC and AC — issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Airworthiness work on the six-seat manned eVTOL V2000EM Prosperity is on track and has entered the compliance verification phase.