China has marked a significant milestone in unmanned aviation with the successful maiden flight of the TP1000, a large unmanned cargo aircraft developed by Yitong UAV System Co. The flight took place on Saturday at Laixi Dianbu Airport in Qingdao, demonstrating the aircraft’s impressive one-ton payload capacity and long-range operational capabilities.
The TP1000 boasts a 1,000-kilogram payload and a 1,000-kilometer range, with a 3.3-ton takeoff weight and 7 cubic meters of cargo space. Designed to integrate seamlessly with land transportation systems, it supports intelligent airdrops and facilitates rapid loading and unloading of standard cargo pallets. Its flexibility and safety features make it an attractive solution for commercial logistics, scientific research, ocean monitoring, and resource development.
The aircraft has already attracted 30 orders from major companies, including ZTO Express and Asian Express Aviation. Certification test flights are set to begin in late 2025, with Type Certificate (TC) approval expected in 2026 from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
With China’s low-altitude economy projected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan ($209 billion) by 2025, the TP1000 is poised to play a crucial role in the nation’s expanding aerial logistics sector.
