DJI Completes Three Drone Missions on Mount Everest
Three drone missions were completed on Mount Everest during the 2026 spring climbing season, highlighting progress in aerial delivery, terrain mapping, and atmospheric research on the world’s highest peak.
A heavy-lift FlyCart 100 drone, introduced in December 2025, became the centerpiece of the operations. It can carry payloads of up to 100 kg. During the climbing season, the drone transported 10,073 kg of supplies and waste between Base Camp and Camp 1 on Everest’s Nepalese south side.
As a result, the drone replaced the demanding six-to-eight-hour trek that Sherpas usually make through the Khumbu Icefall, one of the mountain’s most hazardous sections.
However, the operations faced a temporary setback in late April. Nepalese authorities suspended the drone’s operating license over concerns related to unmanned aerial vehicle regulations and security. The license was restored on May 4 after a fresh application was submitted through Nepal’s Home Ministry. Final approval then came from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation on May 8.
Mapping, research, and record altitude
Meanwhile, a Matrice 4E survey drone mapped more than 3 square kilometers of the Khumbu Icefall at centimeter-level detail. Consequently, the data could help route-setters and climbers navigate the glacier’s constantly changing terrain more safely.
On Everest’s northern slope, the newly introduced EV50 eVTOL drone reached an altitude of 8,861 meters. The company says this is the highest altitude ever achieved by an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
In addition, the drone supported the “Peak Mission” Everest expedition by helping researchers from Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences collect atmospheric data. Its fixed-wing flight mode reduces airflow disturbance during sampling. At the same time, a nose-mounted air intake captures undisturbed air for pollution-tracking research.
From testing to regular operations
The 2026 season builds on successful trial flights conducted in April 2024. At that time, the smaller FlyCart 30 completed the first round-trip drone delivery on Everest by transporting oxygen bottles and waste between Base Camp and Camp 1.
This year’s operation moved more than 10 tonnes of cargo using a single drone model. Therefore, the achievement suggests drone technology is progressing from experimental testing toward routine support for mountaineering logistics.
“We need to spend 6-8 hours each day walking through this icefall,” Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, a Nepalese mountain guide, said of the traditional supply route during DJI’s 2024 trials. “Last year I lost three Sherpas. If we’re not lucky, if our time is not right, we lose our life there”.
