Beta Technologies Alia

6 Electric

The BETA ALIA represents one of aviation's most ambitious attempts to bring electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft into practical service. Developed by Vermont-based BETA Technologies and first flown in 2019, the ALIA is a full-scale electric aircraft designed for cargo and eventual passenger operations, with a distinctive high-wing configuration and six electric motors driving lift propellers for vertical flight. Unlike many eVTOL concepts that remain confined to subscale demonstrators, BETA has built multiple full-size prototypes and accumulated hundreds of flight hours, including a 2022 cross-country flight from New York to Arkansas that demonstrated the viability of electric aviation infrastructure. The aircraft transitions from vertical to horizontal flight using a conventional pusher propeller, cruising at speeds around 140 knots with a design range of approximately 250 nautical miles on current battery technology. BETA has secured orders from UPS for cargo operations and is working with the U.S. Air Force on military logistics applications, positioning the ALIA as a potential pioneer in the emerging electric aviation sector. The company's focus on building charging infrastructure alongside the aircraft itself addresses one of the fundamental barriers to electric flight adoption. SkyMeter has tracked 15 flights across 1 airframes and 1 operators, with BETA TECHNOLOGIES INC the primary operator conducting flight testing and demonstration missions.