DHL Express Partners with LODD to Explore Unmanned Cargo Flights in UAE

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 23-02-2026

4 min

DHL Express has signed an MoU with LODD to explore unmanned cargo flights.

Workshops will assess ‘priority routes’, payload optimisation and safe network integration.

The Hili aircraft carries 250kg, flying 700km with vertical take-off capability.

Road congestion and rising demand push DHL towards ‘advanced air mobility’ solutions.

For now, it signals intent, as regulatory hurdles and integration challenges remain.

DHL Express is exploring a new chapter in its UAE operations, and this time it involves unmanned cargo aircraft. The global logistics giant has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Abu Dhabi–based LODD Autonomous to study how LODD’s Hili aircraft could be folded into DHL’s express delivery network.

The agreement was signed by Rashid Al Manai, CEO of LODD, and Bachi Spiga, Vice President of Network Operations for the Middle East and North Africa at DHL Express. The next step is not immediate deployment, but a series of operational workshops. These sessions will focus on defining priority routes and real use cases for unmanned cargo flights, looking closely at payload optimisation, turnaround times and how the systems would integrate safely.

For a company like DHL, speed and reliability are everything. Spiga noted that in fast-growing markets such as the UAE, road congestion is becoming a genuine obstacle. Innovations like the Hili aircraft, he said, could offer a more sustainable path forward while keeping up with rising demand.

Al Manai, for his part, described the partnership as aligned with the UAE’s ambition to lead in advanced air mobility and smart logistics. The Hili aircraft, designed and developed locally, is built for the region’s conditions, from dense urban centres to long-distance links across the country. According to LODD, the platform can carry up to 250 kilograms, equivalent to two Euro pallets, and has a range of 700 kilometres with a 30-minute reserve. It also features vertical take-off and landing capability and can cruise at altitudes of up to 14,000 feet.

I’ve always felt that logistics is one of those sectors where innovation can be a bit of a slow burn, steady, careful, methodical. But when it moves, it really moves. And believe it or not, startups in this space across the MENA region are quietly building some serious tech. At Arageek, we’ve seen founders chuffed to bits when their prototypes finally leave the ground, even if it’s just a short test flight over an industrial zone. There’s something powerful about watching an idea quite literally take off.

That said, integrating unmanned aircraft into an established express network is no small feat. DHL has been operating in the UAE for 50 years, with around 40 locations including gateways and hubs, more than 350 vehicles on the road, and over 150 daily flight connections supported by its own fleet. Any new technology will have to slot into this vast machine without causing disruption, and that’s easier said than done.

Founded in 2023, LODD positions itself as a pioneer in advanced air mobility. Its business model centres on sustainability, scalability and operational efficiency, aiming to address middle-mile cargo challenges, the often overlooked links between main hubs and final distribution points. In simple terms, this is the stretch of logistics that can become a real bottleneck if not handled well.

I reckon the real test will be regulatory alignment and airspace management, especially in a region investing heavily in smart infrastructure. On the flip side, if the workshops translate into working routes, it could place the UAE at the forefront of autonomous cargo operations, not just as a trial market, but as a genuine export hub for this kind of technology.

For now, the MoU signals intent rather than immediate rollout. Still, in a market where customer expectations are sky-high and traffic congestion is a daily headache, exploring unmanned delivery options seems less like a futuristic fantasy and more like practical foresight.

Whether Hili becomes a regular sight over the UAE’s skys remains to be seen. But this collaboration definately shows how seriously both established players and young aerospace firms are taking the future of logistics in the region. And if it works, it might just be spot on for a market that never stands still.

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