AutoFlight V5000 Matrix completes mixed-fleet formation flight

AutoFlight has completed a mixed-fleet formation flight of three aircraft, comprising one V5000 Matrix and two V2000-series eVTOL aircraft. The mission validated critical capabilities – communication links, route planning, flight coordination and safety control – across 5-ton and 2-ton platforms, demonstrating that different aircraft types can operate together at scale. It marks a significant step forward in AutoFlight’s system integration capabilities and lays the operational groundwork for multi-aircraft coordination in low-altitude logistics, emergency response, maritime support and regional air transport, and represents a concrete step toward the commercial deployment of coordinated multi-aircraft networks in the low-altitude economy. The V5000 Matrix is the flagship of AutoFlight’s ‘From Small to Big, From Cargo to Passengers’ portfolio, designed for heavy-lift, long-range, point-to-point high-value missions. Following its transition flight in February 2026, the cargo hybrid-electric variant V5000CGH has officially entered airworthiness certification, moving from R&D validation to a systematic, standardised approval process. The V5000CGH features a maximum take-off weight of 5,700kg, a maximum payload of 1.5 tons, a 14m³ cargo hold accommodating two AKE standard air cargo containers, a cruise speed of 280 km/h and a maximum range of 1,500km. Together, these specifications address the three constraints that have limited eVTOL mass deployment – payload, range and cost – and extend the operational envelope from urban short-haul into long-haul, heavy-duty logistics. 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 material. In offshore energy and marine support, its cargo capacity and long endurance replace 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 maintains a safety-first, regulation-driven approach to airworthiness, with a team drawing on experience from the ARJ21-700, C919 and Diamond DA42 certification programmes. The V2000CG CarryAll already holds the full set of CAAC airworthiness certificates – TC, PC and AC – while the six-seat manned eVTOL V2000EM Prosperity has entered the compliance verification phase. AutoFlight will advance V5000CGH design, testing, flight trials and compliance verification in strict accordance with airworthiness regulations, accelerating the path to commercial deployment of heavy-payload, long-range eVTOL technology and contributing to the development of sustainable low-altitude logistics infrastructure. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]