Firm unveils unmanned cargo drone

Chinese aviation startup Air White Whale has unveiled its first unmanned cargo aircraft, which the company says is the world's largest transportation drone.

At a ceremony in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, the first W5000 rolled off the company's production line and made its public debut.

Hu Zhendong, chairman and CEO of the Beijing startup, said at the ceremony his company is convinced that large cargo drones will become a pillar in the airfreight transportation industry in the future, due to their high operational efficiency and competitive costs.

According to Air White Whale, the W5000 is a twin-turboprop drone with a maximum takeoff weight of 10.8 metric tons, a payload capacity of 5 tons and an inner cargo space of more than 65 cubic meters.

The aircraft is about 22.9 meters long and has a wingspan of 22.7 meters. It is capable of flying 2,600 kilometers in a single flight.

The drone is highly economical — its transportation costs are about 60 percent of that of any manned cargo plane with a similar carrying capacity — and each ground crew can operate up to seven such drones at the same time, Air White Whale said.

The W5000's airworthiness certification application has been submitted to the Civil Aviation Administration of China for review and approval, and the first model is expected to be delivered to its user in 2026, the company said. It also noted that the drone will be displayed at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition that will take place in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, in November.

The drone will be able to reach southeast and central Asian nations, as well as Russia and Japan. Several foreign nations such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan have signed intent orders, the company said.

Industry observers say cargo drones are expected to create many business opportunities as China relaxes its control over low-altitude airspace and the number of the nation's online shopping businesses continues to grow.

The Aviation Industry Corp of China, the country's leading State-owned aircraft manufacturer, and several private aircraft makers have built various types of cargo drones for testing and hope to put them into commercial operation in the near future.