China’s AutoFlight has staged the world’s first formation flight involving five autonomous electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL)….
AutoFlight shared news of the stunning first flight on November 5, 2026, around five days after the event was held in Kunshan, China.
According to AutoFlight, the formation flight involved a single five-ton V5000 and four two-ton eVTOLs, across three aircraft variants.
The five unmanned eVTOLs, or air taxis, took off vertically before flying together for just over 45 minutes, covering more than 133 kilometers.
“Coordinating aircraft of different sizes and mission profiles requires precise route planning, flight control, communication, and safety management,” a spokesperson for AutoFlight said.
On November 1, 2026, the five eVTOLs completed another successful formation flight despite navigating strong winds, according to AutoFlight.
“Building on its three-aircraft formation demonstration in May 2026, this latest achievement marks further progress in coordinating multiple eVTOL models and weight classes,” the company said. “It also demonstrates AutoFlight’s growing capabilities in autonomous multi-aircraft operations, laying the technical foundation for future low-altitude transport networks connecting long-haul, regional, and last-mile routes.”
The aircraft models featured in the formation flight included AutoFlight’s V2000CG CarryAll, an unmanned cargo eVTOL designed for modern aerial logistics, and the firefighting variant V2000CGF.
Also participating was the company’s V5000 Maxtrix, which is described as the “world’s first and largest five-ton eVTOL”.
The V2000CG is the first ton-class eVTOL to receive all three airworthiness certificates from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). This includes Type Certificate (TC), Production Certificate (PC), and Airworthiness Certificate (AC).
AutoFlight adopts a ‘Lift & Cruise’ configuration where the aircraft transitions from vertical lift to horizontal motion.
The AutoFlight eVTOL takes off vertically like a helicopter using dedicated lift rotors to get airborne.
Once at altitude, rear propellers push the aircraft forward so its fixed wings can take over the flying, allowing the vertical rotors to shut off completely for efficient, airplane-like cruising.