Beta Technologies has become the first company cleared to carry passengers in an eVTOL aircraft in the USA under an authorization from aviation regulator the FAA.
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued Beta’s Alia VTOL, designated the A250, a Special Airworthiness Certificate for market surveys – the first such certificate granted to an eVTOL, said Beta.
Issued under Part 21 of the FAA’s regulations the authorization lets Beta fly passengers such as prospective customers and train crew, short of the fare-paying commercial service that will require full type certification.
The A250 is an all-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft with dual pilot controls, designed to carry up to five passengers or more than 1,200lb (540kg) of cargo, and to operate from sites with or without a runway.
Beta says it shares its propulsion, flight-control computers, batteries and charging systems with the company’s Alia conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft, and has a range of about 287 miles (460km).
In its first flight under the authorization, the A250 took off vertically from Plattsburgh International Airport in New York, transitioned to wing-borne flight and landed vertically at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport in Vermont, covering 40 miles (63km) in 20 minutes.
The certificate follows Beta’s earlier market-survey approval for the CTOL. Combined, the aircraft have flown more than 250,000 miles (288,000km) combined. Beta completed its first crewed eVTOL transition flight in 2024.
Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of Beta, said, “Operators can now experience the VTOL firsthand and begin planning how it fits into their businesses, from connecting communities to moving people and goods at a lower cost. This is an important step toward commercial adoption, and we’re grateful to the FAA for developing the regulatory framework that makes these operations possible.”
FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said, “The FAA is committed to working with American innovators to safely integrate these new aircraft into our national airspace, while maintaining the rigorous safety standards that have made the United States a global leader in aviation.”
The Alia has been through a six-month Bristow flight-test campaign in Norway and a US Air Force deployment under which it became the first crewed electric aircraft to receive military airworthiness approval. Beta says it is continuing to expand operations as it works toward full type certification and commercial service.
