• LODDAutonomous has completed the first test flight of Hili, a hybrid heavy-lift cargo aircraft designed and manufactured entirely in Abu Dhabi. Conducted in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week, the milestone showcases the emirate’s growing leadership in autonomous aviation and advanced logistics.
• Hili can carry payloads of up to 250 kilograms over nearly 700 kilometres, using a hybrid propulsion system that combines electric and internal combustion technologies for greater efficiency, safety and sustainability.
• UAE leadership highlighted the achievement as a key step in strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for autonomous systems, future air mobility and home-grown technological innovation. Senior officials noted that the aircraft’s development reflects successful public-private collaboration and the emirate’s continued investment in advanced engineering, national talent and sustainable air mobility solutions.

In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, LODD Autonomous has conducted the first test flight of Hili, a hybrid heavy-lift cargo aircraft designed, built and manufactured entirely in Abu Dhabi, during an event held at the company’s flight testing facility at Emirates Falcons Aviation in Al Ain Region, as part of Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week. 

The Hili aircraft can transport payloads of up to 250 kilograms across distances of nearly 700 kilometres, powered by a hybrid propulsion system that combines electric and internal combustion technologies within a modular design, ensuring high levels of efficiency, safety and sustainability in aerial cargo operations. 

His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reaffirmed that Hili’s successful first flight reflects Abu Dhabi’s leadership in the development of autonomous aviation and advanced logistics systems and embodies the emirate’s ambitious vision to transform innovation into applied solutions that drive economic and technological growth. 

His Highness also commended the significant progress achieved by the sector in developing and manufacturing intelligent and autonomous systems in Abu Dhabi, particularly in advanced air mobility, thanks to the continued support of the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council.  

His Highness emphasised that this achievement reflects the leadership’s priorities of empowering national talent, fostering local innovation and reinforcing Abu Dhabi as a global hub for sustainable air mobility and autonomous technologies. 

On this occasion, His Excellency Faisal Abdulaziz Al Bannai, Advisor to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs and Secretary-General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, delivered a speech in which he praised this milestone, highlighting its importance in driving rapid progress in the vital air mobility and logistics sector and describing it as a testament to Abu Dhabi’s vision and continued investment in enabling the creation locally of globally competitive innovation. 

Rashid Al Manai, Chief Executive Officer of LODD Autonomous, said: “At LODD Autonomous, we align with the UAE’s vision for advanced air mobility and autonomous systems to strengthen the nation’s position as a global hub for future technologies. We extend our deepest appreciation to the UAE’s leadership for their ongoing support of advanced aviation and autonomous systems. This forward-looking vision has created a thriving environment for innovation, enabling us to design, manufacture and successfully test Hili, from Abu Dhabi to the world, showcasing the UAE’s capability to develop advanced technologies with global impact. 

“We take great pride in witnessing the success of Hili’s first test flight, representing the culmination of years of work and innovation. This milestone is not merely a technical accomplishment, but a reflection of the UAE’s growing position as a global centre for technology and innovation in smart and sustainable air mobility. 

“Through these achievements, LODD Autonomous continues to solidify its position as one of the UAE’s leading national entities in advanced air mobility, supporting the country’s vision to be a global destination for autonomous systems, logistics and future aviation technologies.” 

The first test flight of the Hili aircraft, attended by senior representatives from government entities and private sector companies operating in air mobility and autonomous systems, marks a significant engineering and operational achievement that demonstrates Abu Dhabi’s growing capabilities in designing and manufacturing advanced aviation systems.  

The aircraft was developed under an intensive engineering programme focused on safety, precision and quality, highlighting the emirate’s ability to transform a vision into tangible, real-world solutions with speed and efficiency. 

This achievement is the result of broad strategic collaboration, which reflects international confidence in the UAE’s innovation ecosystem and underscores the success of Abu Dhabi’s approach to fostering public-private partnerships that accelerate the development of advanced technologies and the transformation towards sustainable, autonomous air mobility solutions.