Elroy Air Completes First Autonomous Cargo Flights Under FAA eVTOL Program
Elroy Air has completed a series of autonomous, uncrewed flights under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), marking a step toward the wider use of autonomous aircraft for cargo operations.
The flights were conducted in late August at Houma-Terrebonne Airport in Louisiana using Elroy Air’s Chaparral, a hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft designed to carry more than 500 pounds of cargo. The aircraft flew without a pilot onboard while operating under air traffic control oversight.
During the week-long test program, Chaparral transported different types of cargo, including packages, medical supplies, spare parts, food and water. The flights were conducted in partnership with LIFTOFF Louisiana and aviation services company Bristow Group.
Elroy Air was selected in March 2026 as part of Louisiana’s participation in the eIPP. The federal program is intended to provide operational data that can help regulators and government agencies determine how advanced air mobility aircraft can be integrated into the U.S. National Airspace System.
The Louisiana flights are particularly relevant because they involved autonomous operations from an airport with significant rotorcraft activity. Elroy Air said the testing is intended to help establish how uncrewed cargo aircraft can operate alongside conventional aviation.
Chaparral is designed for logistics operations without requiring runways or other fixed infrastructure. Its hybrid-electric powertrain gives the aircraft a stated maximum range of up to 450 miles, making it intended for longer-distance cargo missions than many smaller electric drones.
While the eIPP demonstrations are focused on commercial logistics, the aircraft is also being developed for defense resupply and humanitarian operations. Elroy Air said its commercial demand pipeline exceeds 1,400 aircraft, although those commitments remain subject to future production and operational requirements.
The company expects its first production aircraft to be built in late 2026, with manufacturing planned at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’ facility in Sacramento, California.
