Beta Technologies has claimed an historic milestone, with its Alia CX300 all-electric aircraft becoming the first passenger-carrying advanced air mobility vehicle to land at John F Kennedy International airport in New York.
Performed on 2 June, passengers on the 45min flight from East Hampton airport on Long Island included Matt Koscal, president of US regional carrier Republic Airways, and Rob Wiesenthal, chief executive of Blade Air Mobility.
Blade in 2021 signed an agreement covering the acquisition of up to 20 of Beta’s Alia A250 electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft – a sister design to the CX300 flown into JFK — certification of which is expected in late 2027.
“Flying our electric aircraft into one of the world’s busiest airports, with passengers, proves advanced air mobility is not some future concept, it’s here,” says Beta Technologies founder and chief executive Kyle Clark.
In December 2023, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey sought proposals from aircraft developers looking to demonstrate their next-generation designs at one of its airports.
This would enable the body to gain a better understanding the aircraft’s technological capabilities, regulatory requirements, infrastructure requirements and potential applications.
“The Port Authority has long positioned itself as a testbed for the transportation technologies of tomorrow, and this historic flight is the latest example of how we’re working to bring innovation into real-world infrastructure,” says chairman Kevin O’Toole.
Blade is currently performing a European tour with a cargo-configured CX300 that will include demonstration flights at the Paris air show.
