Electric aircraft developer BETA Technologies recently hit a notable milestone today when its ALIA CTOL plane completed its first demonstration flight with passengers onboard.
The electric aircraft traveled 45 minutes before landing safely at JFK International Airport in NYC.
Check out the full video from BETA below.BETA Technologies is a fully integrated electric aircraft and systems developer based in Vermont.
Its now been four years since the company debuted its first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft,the ALIA250, which has since been renamed the ALIA VTOL.BETA has also been developing an electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) plane called theALIA CTOL.
It hasflowntens of thousandsof test milesen route to evaluation flights for FAA certification.
As weve reported in the past, that aircraft is targeting full approval for commercial operations this year.Following a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the production-ready CTOL aircraft took to the skies for atest flightlast November, piloted by BETA founder and CEO, Kyle Clark.
Earlier this year, BETA flew an electric aircraft coast-to-coast from NYC to Los Angeles.sAdvertisement - scroll for more contentAfter BETA signed an agreement with47G(Utah Aerospace and Defense) to establish advanced air mobility (AAM) operations in the state, it completed a demonstration flight route spanning 350 miles and six airports around Utah.Today, BETA announced an even more important milestone, completing an all-electric flight in the ALIA CTOL aircraft into NYC with actual passengers onboard.
Source: BETA TechnologiesPer BETA Technologies, the successful demonstration flight took place in NYC this morning, assisted by a partnership between the electric aircraft developer and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.This was a historic flight for the young aerospace company as it was the first time its ALIA CTOL aircraft was operated with passengers onboard.
The NYC-bound electric aircraft transported a pilot and four passengers, including Republic Airways President Matt Koscal and Blade Air Mobility CEO Rob Wiesenthal (pictured above).The executives took a 45-minute, all-electric flight together aboard the ALIA CTOL aircraft from Long Island into NYC, landing safely at JFK Airport.
Wiesenthal spoke about his experience onboard:This electric aircraft flight from Long Island to New York City highlights that quiet and emission-free flight is quickly becoming a reality benefiting Blades fliers, local residents, and other key stakeholders.
I can think of no better way to demonstrate our companys commitment to quiet, electric aircraft commercialization than my participation on this flight as a passengermyself.BETA pointed out that todays milestone of electric aircraft travel with passengers onboard in NYC is the culmination of six years of rigorous testing and development.
It also offers an exciting glimpse into the future of sustainable travel as BETA moves ever-closer to commercial operations in the United States.
BETA founder and CEO Kyle Clark also spoke about the companys progress:Flying our electric aircraft into one of the worlds busiest airports, with passengers, proves advanced air mobility is not some future concept, its here.
Todays flight is about more than technology; its about innovation and connecting communities in safer, quieter, and more efficient ways.
After years of rigorous safety testing in all types of environments, were proud to stand here with the Port Authority and the city of New York to demonstrate exactly how this aircraft can serve cities by easing congestion, reducing emissions, and increasing accessibility.The ALIA CTOL is the first AAM aircraft to obtain a market survey certificate from the FAA, enabling BETA Technologies to conduct demonstration flights under specific safety standards before being awarded full FAA certification for commercial operations.Aside from BETAs milestone in NYC, fellow electric aircraft developer Archer shared similar news earlier this week, beginning demonstration flights with a pilot onboard.
Could we see commercial air taxi operations in the US by 2026?Check out BETAs video footage of todays NYC flight below:Source: BETA TechnologiesFTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.