An aerial drone photo shows staff members celebrating the maiden flight of China's domestically developed tonne-class unmanned transport aircraft, the TP1000, at an airport in east China's Shandong Province, March 15, 2025. (Yi-Tong UAV System Co., Ltd/Handout via Xinhua)

China's domestically developed tonne-class unmanned transport aircraft, the TP1000, has completed its maiden flight in east China's Shandong Province.

Designed and manufactured by Yi-Tong UAV System Co., Ltd, based in Yantai, Shandong Province, the aircraft flew for 26 minutes on Saturday at an airport in Shandong. Its stable performance validated its design and reliability, reported the Science and Technology Daily on Monday.

The maiden flight signifies another significant advancement for China in the field of high-end unmanned aviation equipment.

As a large cargo drone developed under China's civil aviation airworthiness procedures, the TP1000 boasts a payload capacity of 1,000 kilograms, a maximum range of 1,000 kilometers when fully loaded, and a 7-cubic-meter cargo bay.

With a takeoff weight of 3.3 tonnes, it features twin-engine modular installation, a self-developed multi-redundant flight control system, and advantages in endurance, payload, and cost-efficiency.

Notably, the TP1000 is equipped with a large rear cargo door, enabling intelligent airdrop for material delivery and emergency rescue in various scenarios, according to the report.

"In addition to transporting goods, the TP1000 can be quickly modified according to customer specifications for marine monitoring, scientific exploration, resource development, and regional infrastructure projects due to its excellent flight performance, load capacity, and lower operating costs," said Yi-Tong's General Manager Jin Ge.

Yi-Tong aims to obtain airworthiness certification for the TP1000 by late 2025, with commercial operations expected to begin in 2026 after regulatory approval, said Jin.

"The TP1000's successful debut upgrades our product portfolio centered on fixed-wing and vertical takeoff composite-wing drones," said Jin.

Currently, the company's fixed-wing TP500 model, with a payload capacity of 500 kilograms, successfully completed test flights of its newly certified design in February 2025, moving into a new certification phase. Meanwhile, the TR100, a core model with a payload capacity of 150 kilograms, has also entered the trial operation stage, according to Jin.

"Compared to the TP500, which carries 500 kg over 500 km, the TP1000 offers greater payload and range. Together, they will address the booming demand for low-altitude logistics," he said.

The company has secured 30 orders from clients including ZTO Express.

This achievement aligns with China's strategic push to develop its low-altitude economy, which has been identified as a key growth sector in the country.

The Yantai Huang-Bohai New Area has emerged as a hub for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) research and development, and manufacturing, hosting enterprises and research institutes across drone production, core components, and air-land-sea applications.

Yi-Tong has established a 4,000-square-meter production line in the new area and has initiated the construction of a UAV industrial park over 20,000 square meters, said Jin.

By the end of 2025, the company aims to achieve an annual production capacity of 100 large UAVs, fostering a cluster of upstream and downstream supporting industries to help Yantai develop into a national-level UAV industrial hub, he added.