- AutoFlight has completed the world’s first formation flight of five eVTOL aircraft
- The autonomous flight lasted 47 minutes
- The flight covered more than 133 km
- The aircraft included different models and weight classes
- The flight took place at AutoFlight’s Bailian Lake Test Base in Kunshan, China
AutoFlight has successfully completed what it describes as the world’s first autonomous formation flight involving five eVTOL aircraft across two different weight classes. The coordinated demonstration lasted 47 minutes and covered more than 133 km without manual intervention. The flight took place on 31 October and 1 November 2026 at AutoFlight’s Bailian Lake Test Base in Kunshan, China.
The flight featured a 5-tonne V5000 Matrix leading four 2-tonne V2000 series aircraft. The lineup included the V5000 Matrix alongside the V2000CG CarryAll cargo variant and V2000CGF CarryAll firefighting variant. Despite strong winds on the second day, the fleet maintained strict safe separation autonomously.
Synchronising distinct weight classes and profiles requires advanced automated flight control and real-time network communication. The milestone advances past an earlier three-aircraft formation test in May 2026 and paves the way for high-density, multi-tier urban air mobility networks. Observers toured Sunship, AutoFlight’s water-based green vertiport on Dianshan Lake.
