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Alia CX300 eCTOL takes first test flight

Beta Technologies completed the first test flight of its Alia CX300 electric conventional takeoff and landing aircraft on Nov. 13.

The production-standard Alia CX300 (BT31C-0001) electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) prototype departed Burlington, Vt. (BTV), around 6:30 a.m. (UTC -5) and flew for about an hour before returning to the airport.

The CX300 eCTOL will enter service before the A250 eVTOL. (Courtesy/Beta Technologies)

Beta, which designed the production tooling for the Alia CX300, rolled out the prototype last week before the FAA granted the advanced air mobility developer its Research and Development and Market Survey Experimental Airworthiness certificate, according to a release today.

In addition to receiving approval to conduct flights using visual and instrument flight rules, the FAA issued a night flight allowance to the Burlington-based planemaker, the release said.

With the first test flight completed, Beta hopes to obtain certification for the Alia CX300 next year.

“We’re planning for certification for our eCTOL aircraft in late 2025 with the FAA,” Beta’s Sales Director Skye Carapetyan said at Cargo Facts EMEA 2024 in February. “Of course, as we’re a U.S.-based company, that’s going to be our initial certification.”

Beta announced plans to develop the Alia CX300 in the first quarter of 2023 and is developing an Alia A250 eVTOL variant, which it expects to certify by the end of 2026, Carapetyan said.

Customers that have placed orders for the Alia CX300 eCTOL and Alia A250 eVTOL include:

UPS for ten A250s with an option for up to 150 more;
Bristow Group for five A250s with an option for fifty more; and
Air New Zealand for one CX300 with an option for two more.

Register now for Cargo Facts’ essential regional events for industry stakeholders:

Cargo Facts LATAM 2025 on Feb. 10-11 at the Pullman Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport in Brazil;
Cargo Facts Asia 2025 on March 24-26 at the W Shanghai in China; and
Cargo Facts EMEA 2025 on May 6-8 at the Shangri-La Bosphorus in Turkey.

Alia CX300 eCTOL takes first test flight

Beta Technologies completed the first test flight of its Alia CX300 electric conventional takeoff and landing aircraft on Nov. 13.

The production-standard Alia CX300 (BT31C-0001) electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) prototype departed Burlington, Vt. (BTV), around 6:30 a.m. (UTC -5) and flew for about an hour before returning to the airport.

The CX300 eCTOL will enter service before the A250 eVTOL. (Courtesy/Beta Technologies)

Beta, which designed the production tooling for the Alia CX300, rolled out the prototype last week before the FAA granted the advanced air mobility developer its Research and Development and Market Survey Experimental Airworthiness certificate, according to a release today.

In addition to receiving approval to conduct flights using visual and instrument flight rules, the FAA issued a night flight allowance to the Burlington-based planemaker, the release said.

With the first test flight completed, Beta hopes to obtain certification for the Alia CX300 next year.

“We’re planning for certification for our eCTOL aircraft in late 2025 with the FAA,” Beta’s Sales Director Skye Carapetyan said at Cargo Facts EMEA 2024 in February. “Of course, as we’re a U.S.-based company, that’s going to be our initial certification.”

Beta announced plans to develop the Alia CX300 in the first quarter of 2023 and is developing an Alia A250 eVTOL variant, which it expects to certify by the end of 2026, Carapetyan said.

Customers that have placed orders for the Alia CX300 eCTOL and Alia A250 eVTOL include:

UPS for ten A250s with an option for up to 150 more;
Bristow Group for five A250s with an option for fifty more; and
Air New Zealand for one CX300 with an option for two more.

Register now for Cargo Facts’ essential regional events for industry stakeholders:

Cargo Facts LATAM 2025 on Feb. 10-11 at the Pullman Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport in Brazil;
Cargo Facts Asia 2025 on March 24-26 at the W Shanghai in China; and
Cargo Facts EMEA 2025 on May 6-8 at the Shangri-La Bosphorus in Turkey.