The V2000CG CarryAll completes its first material transport flight to an offshore oil platform. Photo: Courtesy of AutoFlight

China's independently developed ton-level electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has successfully completed its first material transport flight to an offshore oil platform. This breakthrough innovates the maritime supply model and represents a key step forward in China's application of low-altitude logistics in sea-land scenarios, the aircraft's maker, Shanghai-based tech start-up AutoFlight, said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Sunday.

The 2-ton eVTOL aircraft, named V2000CG CarryAll, carried fresh fruits, emergency medicines and other supplies, taking off from a landing site in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province. After a 58-minute cross-sea flight, it landed on an offshore oil and gas platform - the Huizhou 19-3 platform, 150 kilometers from Shenzhen's coastline.

This test flight was jointly carried out by China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC), CITIC Offshore Helicopter and AutoFlight.

Ren Yongyi, a deputy manager of the coordination department at CNOOC's Shenzhen branch, said in a China Media Group (CMG) report on Sunday that compared with traditional transport methods that rely on ships and helicopters, eVTOL aircraft have significant advantages in operating costs, response speed, zero-carbon emissions, comfort and adaptability to limited takeoff and landing spaces.

For a long time, material supply for CNOOC's offshore oil platforms has primarily relied on ships, which take about 10 hours for a one-way trip, making it hard to meet the needs for urgent material scheduling and emergency support. In emergencies, helicopters are deployed for transporting supplies and personnel, but the cost per flight is even higher, according to the statement from AutoFlight.

Ren noted that this test flight integrates innovative aviation technology, mature operational experience and real-world offshore operational needs, forming a closed-loop application of "development + operation + scenario" for low-altitude logistics, according to the CMG report.

The test flight achieved breakthroughs in scenarios such as long-distance sea-land emergency material transport and addressing fishing vessel disturbances, demonstrating the immense potential of low-altitude economy technology in 中国

Targeting the high-salt mist, high-humidity and strong gust characteristics of the South China Sea, as well as the limited takeoff and landing spaces of offshore platforms, the aircraft has completed key test subjects including vertical takeoff and landing, hovering and long-distance cross-sea flight, fully verifying the technical feasibility and operational reliability of large-scale eVTOLs in offshore oil industry scenarios, Xie Jia, senior vice-president of AutoFlight, said in the statement.

The V2000CG CarryAll aircraft was delivered in July and is the world's first eVTOL aircraft of more than one ton that has all three key airworthiness approvals - Type Certificate, Production Certificate, and Airworthiness Certificate.

By 2030, China's low-altitude economy will reach 3 trillion yuan ($417 billion), with innovative applications in marine scenarios becoming a key growth driver, the statement said.

Global Times