The world's largest unmanned cargo aircraft rolls off the assembly line
Oct 20, 2025 | Industry | Beth Frankle
Beluga Airline's W5000, billed as the world's largest unmanned cargo aircraft, rolled off the assembly line at the company's Changzhou production base on October 18. The aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 10.8 tons, a maximum payload of 5 tons, and a maximum range of 2,600 kilometers. The company says the first delivery is expected in the second half of 2026, and the W5000 will make its global debut at the 15th Zhuhai Airshow later this year.
Design and performance
The W5000 is a fixed-wing turboprop developed specifically for logistics. It measures 22.89 meters long with a wingspan of 22.70 meters and a vertical tail height of 7.51 meters. Cruising altitude is about 6,000 meters, and the maximum cruise speed reaches 526 km/h. The square cross‑section fuselage increases space utilization by more than 15 percent and provides an effective cargo volume greater than 65 cubic meters. A straight-through cargo compartment with a tail door accepts 12 standard cargo containers and pallets and can accommodate ultra-long loads over 13 meters. The composite fuselage reduces structural weight and offers improved fatigue and corrosion resistance, lowering maintenance costs by more than 20 percent versus comparable metal-structure aircraft.
Autonomy, operations, and economics
The W5000 supports autonomous flight with ground monitoring, enabling one crew member to supervise six to seven aircrafts. Beluga Airline reports crew costs at roughly one-tenth of comparable manned aircraft and claims ton‑kilometer operating costs are over 40 percent lower than similar manned freighters. Turnaround time at civil and general aviation airports is about 15 minutes. The program emphasizes a fully controllable supply chain with components sourced from state-owned aviation groups and mainstream private suppliers.
Market interest and funding
Beluga Airline says the W5000's range covers ASEAN countries, Japan and South Korea, Russia's Far East, and the five Central Asian states; Middle Eastern markets such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan have already signed letters of intent. The company announced 120 million yuan in Series A funding alongside the rollout, its second round of financing in 2024 and bringing total 2024 funding to nearly 200 million yuan. The new capital will be used for building and testing W5000 prototypes, ground trials, and expanding assembly capacity.
