By Maria Kalamatas | August 6, 2025 – Shenzhen
For the first time, China has used a cargo eVTOL aircraft to complete a delivery to an offshore oil platform. The flight lasted just under an hour and covered 150 kilometers over the South China Sea.
The aircraft, called CarryAll, took off from a logistics base near Shenzhen carrying emergency supplies and fresh food. Its destination was the Huizhou-19-3 platform, run by CNOOC.
“Normally, this takes around 10 hours by boat,” said Li Ming, one of the operations coordinators. “Today, we did it in 58 minutes.”
Real cargo, real mission
Unlike previous eVTOL test flights, this wasn’t a simulation. The vehicle was fully loaded and operated without a pilot. It flew autonomously but was tracked by ground systems the entire way.
The company behind the aircraft says it’s capable of carrying up to 2 tons and can fly in most weather conditions. For this flight, conditions were clear, and the landing was smooth.
“This is not just a test—it’s a service model,” said Zhang Wei, one of the engineers who worked on the project.
Offshore logistics could shift
Boats have been the traditional way to supply oil platforms, but they are slow and expensive. In urgent situations, delays of hours can create serious risk.
By comparison, an eVTOL can take off quickly, land precisely, and emit no carbon.
“This could be a game changer for offshore sites all over Asia,” said transportation analyst Jean-Claude Ma from Hong Kong. “It’s clean, fast, and flexible.”
China’s logistics industry is already looking at similar routes—especially for islands and hard-to-reach coastal facilities.
