The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued BETA Technologies a Special Airworthiness Certificate for market surveys with its ALIA VTOL A250, allowing supervised flights with operators, prospective customers and other stakeholders. The all-electric aircraft completed its first authorised flight on 20 October, travelling 34 nautical miles from Plattsburgh International Airport in New York to Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport in Vermont in 20 minutes.
The A250 departed vertically, transitioned to wing-borne flight and landed vertically. The certificate expands the geographic scope of BETA’s operations, subject to FAA limitations, and enables demonstrations in a broader range of operating environments.
The authorisation is the first market-survey certificate issued by the FAA for an eVTOL aircraft. It moves BETA beyond employee-restricted test flights and allows potential operating partners to assess applications including passenger transport, cargo and medical missions.
The A250 has dual pilot controls and is designed to carry up to five passengers or more than 1,200 pounds of cargo. Its propulsion systems, flight-control computers, batteries and charging systems are shared with BETA’s ALIA CTOL aircraft.
The certificate does not constitute type certification or unrestricted approval for commercial passenger service. BETA must continue its certification programme and operate the aircraft within the conditions attached to the market-survey authorisation.