Overview

• The ALIA CTOL carried a pilot and four passengers, including Republic Airways President Matt Koscal and Blade Air Mobility CEO Rob Wiesenthal, on a 45-minute flight from Long Island to JFK International Airport.
• The flight was conducted under an FAA market survey certificate that permits demonstration operations under strict safety standards while BETA pursues full commercial certification this year.
• BETA Technologies partnered with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to coordinate the electric aircraft’s landing at one of the world’s busiest airports.
• Since its 2017 founding, BETA has logged tens of thousands of test miles and earlier this year completed a coast-to-coast flight from New York City to Los Angeles as part of its certification efforts.
• Supportive regulations followed the FAA’s October finalization of pilot training and certification rules for air taxis, and BETA raised $318 million that month to advance production and commercialization of its electric aircraft.