LODD Autonomous · Hili Hybrid VTOL Cargo Aircraft

About

LODD Autonomous is an Abu Dhabi company developing autonomous aircraft for cargo logistics; the Emirates News Agency describes it as founded in 2023 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi. [wam-lodd-2026-09-24] Its aircraft, Hili, is an unmanned hybrid vertical take-off and landing cargo aircraft: LODD describes eight lifting motors distributed over the fuselage, a conventional combustion pusher engine for range and endurance, and a 2.7 m³ cargo bay. [lodd-hili-page] LODD's published figures are a maximum payload of 250 kg — two Euro pallets — and a range of 700 km plus a 30-minute reserve, with a maximum cruise altitude of 14,000 ft; the Abu Dhabi Media Office gives the range as nearly 700 kilometres. No cruise speed has been published. [lodd-dhl-2026-02-24] [admo-hili-first-flight-2025-11-13]

Hili is not an all-electric eVTOL: it lifts on electric motors and cruises on a combustion engine. It is documented here because it is a vertical take-off cargo aircraft built, flown and now being certified in the UAE, under the same regulator as the passenger air taxis on this site.

LODD announced that a subscale Hili had completed its maiden flight on 27 December 2024, without stating where. [lodd-subscale-2024-12-27] The full-scale aircraft made its first test flight on 13 November 2025 at LODD's flight-testing facility at Emirates Falcons Aviation in Al Ain, during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. [admo-hili-first-flight-2025-11-13] Before Hili, LODD flew smaller delivery drones in two UAE trials: a parcel delivery in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, with 7X under the oversight of the GCAA and the Integrated Transport Centre (16 June 2025), and a cargo flight from Fujairah International Airport to an offshore platform with the GCAA and Fujairah's civil aviation authority (September 2025). [lodd-7x-2025-06-16] [lodd-fujairah-2025-09] In October 2026 WAM reported that flight tests of Hili were continuing in Al Ain. [wam-lodd-2026-10-07]

On 1 July 2026 LODD announced that it had initiated the certification programme for Hili with the GCAA, moving from development and flight testing into formal certification. The release describes the programme as covering design approval activities, airworthiness compliance demonstrations, ground and flight testing, operational evaluations and safety assessments, under the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council with the GCAA as certifying authority, and quotes Eng. Aqeel Al Zarooni, the GCAA's assistant director general for aviation safety affairs. It names no certificate category. [lodd-gcaa-cert-2026-07-01] On 7 October 2026 WAM reported that LODD was preparing to submit the final application for the aircraft's certification. [wam-lodd-2026-10-07]

LODD's agreements with UAE carriers are exploratory. Etihad Cargo signed an agreement on 4 November 2025 to explore integrating Hili into UAE operations, describing it as the beginning of an experimental phase; Emirates SkyCargo signed a memorandum of understanding at the Dubai Airshow on 21 November 2025; DHL Express signed a memorandum of understanding on 24 February 2026. [etihad-cargo-lodd-2025-11-04] [emirates-skycargo-lodd-2025-11-21] [lodd-dhl-2026-02-24] LODD also lists a collaboration agreement with EMX, an agreement with Skyports Drone Services for the UK, and a collaboration with ST Engineering for Asian markets. [lodd-first-flight-2025-11-13] [lodd-st-engineering-2026-02-05] In September 2026 WAM quoted LODD's chief executive as saying the company had signed more than 11 agreements covering orders for more than 330 aircraft; the agreements are not itemised, and none has been published as a firm order. [wam-lodd-2026-09-24]

Connected entities

Regulators

General Civil Aviation Authority — UAE

Frequently asked questions

Is Hili certified by the GCAA?

No. LODD's own release of 1 July 2026 says it initiated a certification programme with the GCAA, and WAM reported on 7 October 2026 that LODD was preparing to submit the final certification application. A repost on LODD's website, credited to a trade Instagram account, says the aircraft 'achieved GCAA certification'; LODD's own release does not support that, and it is not used here.

Is Hili an eVTOL?

Not strictly. Hili takes off and lands vertically on eight electric lifting motors, but a combustion pusher engine provides cruise range and endurance, and LODD says in-flight charging removes the need for ground charging. It is a hybrid VTOL cargo aircraft, flown without a pilot on board.

Has Hili flown in the UAE?

Yes. The Abu Dhabi Media Office reported the full-scale aircraft's first test flight on 13 November 2025 at Emirates Falcons Aviation in Al Ain, and WAM reported in October 2026 that flight tests were continuing there.

Does LODD have firm orders for Hili?

Not on the public record. The agreements published by the counterparties — Etihad Cargo, Emirates SkyCargo, DHL Express — are exploratory agreements or memoranda of understanding. LODD's chief executive told WAM in September 2026 that more than 11 agreements cover orders for more than 330 aircraft, without listing them.

Sources

[lodd-gcaa-cert-2026-07-01] LODD Autonomous — LODD launches certification program for Hili hybrid cargo aircraft with GCAA (1 Jul 2026; release distributed by LODD, hosted by Vertical Mag) operator-ir · accessed 2026-10-19
[wam-lodd-2026-10-07] WAM (via Zawya) — LODD Autonomous prepares to conduct first civilian flight of a cargo drone between two countries in 2027: CEO (7 Oct 2026) official-news · accessed 2026-10-19
[wam-lodd-2026-09-24] WAM (via Zawya) — LODD receives orders for over 330 Hili aircraft (24 Sep 2026) official-news · accessed 2026-10-19
[admo-hili-first-flight-2025-11-13] Abu Dhabi Media Office — In the presence of Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed, LODD Autonomous conducts first test flight of Hili aircraft in Al Ain Region (13 Nov 2025) government · accessed 2026-10-19
[lodd-hili-page] LODD Autonomous — Hili (middle-mile) product page operator-ir · accessed 2026-10-19
[lodd-dhl-2026-02-24] LODD Autonomous — DHL Express and LODD to explore unmanned Hili aircraft model for delivery operations (24 Feb 2026; release distributed by LODD, hosted by Vertical Mag) operator-ir · accessed 2026-10-19
[emirates-skycargo-lodd-2025-11-21] Emirates — Emirates SkyCargo and LODD Autonomous sign MoU to explore drone-powered delivery solutions (21 Nov 2025) operator-ir · accessed 2026-10-19
[etihad-cargo-lodd-2025-11-04] Etihad Cargo — Etihad Cargo partners with LODD Autonomous to streamline the future of middle-mile delivery (4 Nov 2025) operator-ir · accessed 2026-10-19
[lodd-first-flight-2025-11-13] LODD Autonomous — LODD completes first flight of Hili, the UAE's first hybrid heavy cargo UAV designed, built and tested in Abu Dhabi (Nov 2025) operator-ir · accessed 2026-10-19
[lodd-subscale-2024-12-27] LODD Autonomous — Hili subscale takes flight (27 Dec 2024) operator-ir · accessed 2026-10-19
[lodd-7x-2025-06-16] LODD Autonomous — LODD and 7X conduct first parcel delivery trial by drone in Abu Dhabi (16 Jun 2025) operator-ir · accessed 2026-10-19
[lodd-fujairah-2025-09] LODD Autonomous — First drone cargo flight from a civilian airport to an offshore platform in the UAE (Sep 2025) operator-ir · accessed 2026-10-19
[lodd-st-engineering-2026-02-05] LODD Autonomous — LODD exports UAE-built Hili autonomous aircraft to Asian markets with ST Engineering (5 Feb 2026) operator-ir · accessed 2026-10-19

Verification flags

A post on lodd.com titled 'LODD has achieved GCAA certification' is a repost of a trade Instagram caption and contradicts LODD's own release (programme initiated, not completed). Not published.
An 'order for up to 50' Hili from Ambitious Air Mobility Group appears only in trade press, which describes a non-binding framework. No primary source located. Not published.
The 1 July 2026 certification release and the DHL release were found only in Vertical Mag's press-release section, marked as distributed by LODD. No GCAA or WAM version of the certification announcement was found.
The chief executive's name is printed three ways: Rashid Al Manai, Rashid Mattar Al Manai and Rashid Matar Al Manai.
Hili's range is printed as 'up to 700 km' (LODD), 'nearly 700 kilometres' (Abu Dhabi Media Office) and 'more than 700 kilometres' (Etihad Cargo). LODD's own figure is used.
LODD's own first-flight release still contains an editing placeholder; the Abu Dhabi Media Office account of the 13 November 2025 flight is cited instead.
No primary source gives LODD's legal entity name or shareholders. Emirates' release says Hili's development is supported by the Advanced Technology Research Council; that is support, not ownership.
WAM's own article pages could not be rendered by this research; WAM text was read through Zawya's syndicated copies.

Published 19 October 2026· Last verified 2026-10-19