A large civil unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the FH-98, made its first night flight and transited between two airports featuring UAV testing in the early morning of June 20, making it China's first drone to transit at night.

It is said that the transition has laid the foundation for the normal operation of branch logistics and promoted the development of unmanned systems and the general aviation industry.

The UAV took off from Mahe Town, Yulin City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and landed at an airport some 100 kilometers away after 40 minutes' flight, achieving a flight beyond the visual line of sight of the country's largest UAV for logistics.

With a wingspan of 18.2 meters and a fuselage of 12.7 meters, the drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 5.25 tonnes and a maximum range of 1,200 kilometers.

China approved the building of 16 civil unmanned aviation test bases in two batches since 2020. Among them, Yulin City opened two air routes and obtained the country's first airport use license for branch logistics.