The US Federal Aviation Administration has granted BETA Technologies’ ALIA VTOL A250 a Special Airworthiness Certificate for market surveys, allowing the electric aircraft to conduct demonstration flights with prospective operators and other stakeholders aboard. The authorisation, issued under Part 21, is the first of its kind for an eVTOL and does not permit unrestricted commercial passenger operations.
The A250 completed its first flight under the certificate on 20 October, departing vertically from Plattsburgh International Airport in New York before transitioning to wing-borne flight and landing vertically at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport in Vermont. The 34-nautical-mile journey took 20 minutes.
The flights will allow potential operators to assess the aircraft’s handling, operating procedures, infrastructure needs and possible uses before certification and entry into service. BETA is targeting applications including passenger transport, cargo, medical missions and defence.
The A250 has dual pilot controls and is designed to carry up to five passengers or more than 1,200 pounds of cargo. The company is continuing work towards full type certification and commercial operations; the new authorisation remains subject to FAA limitations and does not approve scheduled air-taxi service. BETA previously secured market-survey approval for its conventional-takeoff-and-landing aircraft and completed its first crewed electric VTOL transition flight in 2024.