A US aerospace startup backed by Y Combinator has built and flown an autonomous cargo aircraft prototype in under two months, demonstrating its ability to take off, follow a flight route, and land without pilot intervention.Los Angeles-based Aviern is developing unmanned fixed-wing aircraft for regional freight deliveries and military resupply missions. Its long-term goal is to transport 1,000 pounds of cargo over 1,000 miles for less than $1,000 per flight.The company announced the development on October 30, outlining plans to connect America’s roughly 5,000 public-use airports through a network of autonomous cargo aircraft.Unlike conventional cargo planes, Aviern’s aircraft are being designed without cockpits, passenger seats, or onboard crew systems. The company says this approach would free up more space for freight while reducing operating costs.The startup has already demonstrated its autonomous flight technology on a scaled composite aircraft, although its larger cargo-carrying models remain under development.Autonomous flight without pilotsAviern’s prototype can taxi, take off, navigate a predefined route, and land autonomously, according to the company. The startup developed the aircraft’s airframe, autopilot, perception system, and ground-control software in-house.Its autonomy software, called AviernOS, has accumulated more than 150 miles of autonomous flight, according to the company’s website. Aviern says the prototype was designed, built, and flown in less than two months.The development is an early step toward aircraft that could operate without pilots onboard or continuously directing their movements from the ground.The company was founded by Kush Agarwal and Arvin Singh, who have backgrounds in aerospace engineering and aircraft development at the University of California, Los Angeles.Agarwal previously worked on autonomous drones and holds a pilot’s license. Singh has spent years designing and building aircraft, including participating in international aircraft design competitions.The founders argue that existing air freight networks leave thousands of smaller airports largely unused for commercial cargo transportation.Although the US has approximately 5,000 public-use airports, only around 520 are certified for airline service, according to figures cited by Aviern.The company wants to use smaller airports to move urgent shipments, including medical supplies, aircraft components, and other high-value goods, without routing everything through major aviation hubs.Cargo aircraft for remote routesAviern’s website describes an aircraft called the A600, designed to carry 600 pounds of cargo over a range of 600 miles. The proposed aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds and is intended to operate from short or unprepared runways.It would use automotive gasoline or aviation gasoline, with a projected operating cost of approximately $100 per hour. These figures are design specifications rather than independently demonstrated performance. The company is also pursuing a broader objective of carrying 1,000 pounds over 1,000 miles for less than $1,000 per flight.Beyond commercial deliveries, Aviern sees potential applications in military logistics, particularly where sending crewed aircraft or ground convoys would be expensive or dangerous. The startup plans to demonstrate fully autonomous flight using a retrofitted small airplane by the first quarter of 2027.That test would move its autonomy technology from a scaled prototype to a larger aircraft. Aviern then aims to build and fly its purpose-designed cargo aircraft by the first quarter of 2028, followed by commercial operations.However, deploying such aircraft commercially will also depend on regulatory approvals. The company is designing its aircraft around the Federal Aviation Administration’s proposed Part 108 framework for beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone operations.Its longer-term vision extends beyond autonomous aircraft to airports where loading, departures, landings, and turnaround operations require minimal human involvement.For now, Aviern has demonstrated autonomous flight on a scaled prototype. Its planned cargo capacity, range, operating costs, and commercial deployment timeline have yet to be proven.