Hili. The Story Behind The Name.

Deep in the heart of Abu Dhabi's desert hinterland, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Al Ain, lies the Bronze Age settlement of Hili once home to the Umm Al Nar people, ancient traders whose commerce and craftsmanship shaped a civilization 3,000 years ago. To us, the name Hili is more than cultural heritage. It is a covenant: to connect, to enable, and to lead.

As LODD pioneers the next generation of autonomous cargo aircraft and hybrid electric VTOL technology across the Gulf and beyond, the name Hili bridges that ancient spirit of trade with a boldly engineered future. Our hybrid electric cargo aircraft platforms are designed to redefine what logistics means in an era of zero-emission aviation efficient, intelligent, and built for the region.

In a world demanding faster, cleaner, and smarter freight solutions, LODD's fleet of autonomous aircraft systems carries the legacy of Hili forward aspirational, future-focused, and proudly Emirati.

Hili Specifications

Expanding express logistics beyond roads and airports.

100 kts Cruise Speed

700 km Range

250 kg Payload

Technical Specifications

Performance

Maximum Speed

120 kts

60 m/s

Cruise Speed

100 kts

50 m/s

Maximum Max Cruise Altitude

14,000 ft

Service Ceiling

Max Take-Off Altitude

2,500 m

8,200 ft ASL

Range

700 km

(+30 mins reserve)

Max Climb Rate

3 m/s

600 ft/min

Landing Distance

0 m

VTOL

Take-Off Distance

0 m

VTOL

Weights

Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW)

1,411 kg

Maximum Payload Weight

250 kg

Dimensions

Wingspan

11.90 m

Total Length

8.90 m

Height

3.10 m

Cargo Bay

Cargo Capabilities

2 Euro Pallets

Cargo Dimensions

2700 x 950 x 1050 mm

Volume

2.7 m³

Cargo Capabilities

LODD is redefining modern logistics with Hili a next-generation autonomous cargo aircraft engineered for the demands of tomorrow's supply chains. Purpose-built as a heavy lift drone platform, Hili carries up to 250 kg across a fully adaptable cargo bay, delivering point-to-point freight solutions that operate entirely independent of charging infrastructure.

Combining the precision of a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) with the endurance of a fixed wing aircraft, Hili lifts off and lands vertically eliminating the need for runways and enabling access to urban, remote, and maritime environments alike. Its autonomous flight systems handle routing, obstacle avoidance, and payload management without ground crew intervention, making it one of the most capable autonomous freight aircraft platforms operating in the region today.

Watch Our Cargo Capabilities

Autonomous Logistics

Improves the customer experience with faster more flexible delivery options for all types of cargo and destinations.

Autonomous Operations

Increasing the autonomy of logistics operations is a top LODD priority. By incorporating leading -edge technologies such as automated flight, route optimisation, a smart vertiport system and artificial intelligence, LODD is making door-to-door logistics autonomy a reality.

Hybrid & distributed propulsion

The propulsion system on the Hili cargo drone is based on a hybrid and distributed propulsion architecture. Eight lifting motors distributed over the fuselage provide enhanced aircraft balancing and controllability, while the conventional ICE pusher engine provides extended range and endurance. Hybrid propulsion enables easy adaptation to future technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cells and semiconductor batteries.

Redundant avionics

State-of-the-art avionics design is crucial to the performance of any aircraft system. Hili’s indigenous avionics architecture increases reliability and safety by prioritising redundancy of flight control computers, communication links and navigation sensors. Hili’s avionics design also enables online flight plan updates, preventative fault management, and optimised operations handling via real-time inflight data transfers.

Inflight charging

Efficient logistics operations succeed by minimising aircraft time on ground. Supporting this, Hili’s inflight charging system means no need for ground charging. Consecutive flights require minutes for refuelling, not hours for battery charging. This also means Hili can fly to sites without battery charging infrastructure.

Large cargo bay

Hili’s expansive 2.7m3 cargo bay makes loading and unloading cargo fast and easy, and simplifies transport of bulky payload components. The two-EURO-pallet, 250kg capacity can be configured to handle special consignments and includes electrical power in the cargo bay.

Fast Forward Save time, improve efficiency over traditional transport.

Watch Our Logistic Routes

LODD autonomous hybrid VTOL drone in flight above UAE mountains

Safety & Privacy

At LODD, safety and privacy are not afterthoughts they are foundational to every stage of design, engineering, and operation. Our hybrid electric VTOL platform, Hili, is built to meet the most stringent international aviation safety standards, integrating redundant systems, rigorous flight-testing protocols, and full regulatory compliance from the ground up. Every component from propulsion to avionics is meticulously validated to deliver reliability and durability across all mission profiles.

As an autonomous logistics aircraft operating across sensitive environments, Hili is engineered with privacy at its core. Our systems do not capture, record, or transmit imagery of overflown terrain. Only mission-essential operational data is collected, secured with advanced encryption, and placed under full customer control. At LODD, the trust our clients and communities place in us is what drives our commitment to transparent, responsible, and intelligent aviation.