China's commercial unmanned cargo aircraft HH-200 successfully completed its maiden flight on April 15 in Pucheng, Shaanxi Province. The development by AVIC XAC Commercial Aircraft Co., Ltd. took nearly five years — the Xinzhou Honghu HH series project was launched in September 2021.

The HH-200 is equipped with a fully autonomous flight system and AI-powered obstacle avoidance. Its standard cargo hold volume is 12 cubic meters, expandable to 18 cubic meters. Maximum payload capacity is 1.5 tons, cruising speed is 310 km/h, and flight range reaches 2,360 km. The aircraft has a service life of 50,000 flight hours or 15,000 takeoff and landing cycles. The total lifetime operating cost stands at 4.7 yuan (about $0.69) per ton-kilometer.

According to chief designer Dong Jianhong, the primary mission of the HH-200 is to provide logistics services to remote and less developed regions of China. "People should enjoy the same quality of life no matter where they are," he emphasized.

The drone demonstrates high environmental adaptability: it can take off and land on runways as short as 500 meters and at high-altitude airfields above 4,200 meters. Its operating temperature range spans from minus 40 to plus 50 degrees Celsius. The aircraft is capable of operating in adverse weather conditions — including wind, rain, and snow — overcoming transportation barriers in mountainous areas, islands, and plateaus.

The HH-200 flies autonomously according to a predefined plan while maintaining a communication link with the control center for remote command and temporary mission adjustments whenever necessary.