Abu Dhabi’s Lodd begins flight trials of Hili hybrid heavy‑cargo eVTOL for hub‑to‑distribution logistics

Lodd Autonomous has completed the first flight of Hili, the UAE’s first hybrid heavy‑cargo UAV, and begun flight trials in Abu Dhabi. Hili is designed as an autonomous middle‑mile eVTOL to replace trucks and short‑haul aircraft linking logistics hubs with distribution centres.

Discovered 2025-11-13T04:22:16.382255-08:00 | 2025-11-13T04:22:16.382255-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The Hili first flight establishes the UAE's first hybrid heavy‑cargo UAV and moves Lodd from announcement to flight testing, a key programme milestone for Abu Dhabi's autonomous aviation push (see Lodd Autonomous to begin Abu Dhabi demo flights).
Hili is explicitly aimed at middle‑mile hub‑to‑distribution logistics to substitute trucks and short‑haul flights, signaling a potential operational shift in air cargo and urban/regional freight flows (see Middle East Buyers Order 600 Xpeng Electric Ground Carriers and Aerolane tests 'sky train' cargo system).
The sortie complements regional infrastructure activity underpinning AAM operations, including vertiport planning and demonstrations that support commercial cargo and passenger use cases in Abu Dhabi (see Abu Dhabi Investment Office to launch vertiport network to activate eVTOL air‑taxi operations).

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