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.

Aviern’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.

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