DJI launches models with 200 kg capacity; transport market showed substantial growth in 2025
launched its first large drones designed for transporting materials, with a maximum payload capacity of 200 kg.
The expansion of the product line reflects the rapid growth of the commercial drone market for transportation, driven by infrastructure development in remote mountainous areas where traditional, labor-intensive transportation methods are inefficient, dangerous and harmful to the environment.
According to China’s national regulations, drones with a maximum take-off weight of more than 150 kg are classified as large drones. Before this launch, DJI mainly focused on micro, lightweight, small and medium-sized drones for aerial photography, surveying, inspection and agricultural use.
At DJI informou at Caixin that its transport drone missions in 2025 were 8 times greater than those recorded in 2024, with Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces showing the fastest growth. As of April 2026, users have transported more than 11.5 million tons of materials using DJI drones, highlighting the scale and potential of the market.
To illustrate this efficiency, DJI stated that aerial lifting of panels at a photovoltaic project on a mountain in Guizhou province reduced the construction period from 100 to 20 days. In Sichuan province, directly transporting materials by drone for power grid construction has eliminated the need to clear forests, build mountain roads, and carry out subsequent ecological restoration.
Demand has arisen from users of agricultural drones, such as those made by DJI and Guangzhou Xaircraft Technology Co. Ltd., who have begun using high-payload models to transport agricultural products in mountainous terrain. Initially, manufacturers added transport functions to agricultural models, but regulatory limits on altitude, speed and flight radius have driven the development of dedicated transport drones.
DJI launched its 1st dedicated transport drone with a capacity of 30 kg in August 2023, followed by a medium 80 kg model in late June 2025. The 2 newly launched products, the T200 and FC200, are priced at 99,000 yuan (US$14,500) and 134,000 yuan (US$19,000), respectively.
The T200 remains classified as an agricultural drone, restricted to agriculture and forestry scenarios with strict limits on altitude, speed and flight radius. However, it benefits from lower regulatory barriers, requiring only corporate training certificates rather than official regulatory licenses or advance flight plan declarations.
The FC200 offers wider applications, with a maximum range of 36 km and the ability to expand the payload to 600 kg when 4 drones operate together. Operation of this model requires prior flight declarations and specialized pilot qualifications.
DJI faces established competition in the heavy-lift sector from companies such as Ruhong Low Altitude and Zhongce Aviation, which have already launched drones with payload capacities of 150 to 200 kg. Ruhong Low Altitude launched its Yun 220 model in April, with a capacity of 200 kg and a price of 139,600 yuan, while Zhongce Aviation introduced the KF-150 and KF-200 models in 2025 and 2026, with the flagship KF-200 model starting at 129,800 yuan.
The transportation market showed substantial growth in 2025 and its volume is expected to double again in 2026, according to Zhongce Aviation President Liu Junbo. He estimated annual domestic demand for heavy-lift drones at 8,000 to 10,000 units, citing the need to transport millions of tons of materials for forestry and energy projects in mountainous areas each year.
However, the regulatory framework for large transport drones is still developing. While rules require operators to hold specific licenses for large drones, national exams for these credentials have not yet opened, even though preliminary training requirements have completed public consultation, according to DJI.
“We understand that before the relevant qualifications are made available, the industry can only use those of operating medium drones as a substitute”a drone training industry source told Caixin. The sector could enter a phase of accelerated development as the regulatory framework becomes clearer and demand grows.
This report was originally in English by Caixin Global on April 23, 2026. It was translated and republished by Poder360 under mutual content sharing agreement.
