World’s leading air mobility operator Blade Air Mobility and Vermont-based aerospace company BETA Technologies successfully conducted a “historic” test flight of BETA’s ALIA-250 EVA at Westchester County Airport in New York, as per the press release on February 14.
“This is a historic moment for Blade, New York and the urban air mobility industry. This demonstration is a big milestone in our transition from helicopters to electric vertical aircraft, and we are pleased that our partners at BETA have designed the right aircraft with the requisite range, capacity, and noise profile, for use in our key markets, including our homebase of New York City. We are confident EVAs will be a game-changer both for our company and New York City’s transportation system once certified by the FAA.”
Blade Air Mobility CEO Rob Wiesenthal
The partners claim that it is New York’s first successful test flight of a manned electric vehicle aircraft (EVA) or most commonly known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL).
Purpose
Blade Air Mobility, BETA Technologies aims to offer “safe, quiet, and sustainable air transportation to commuter and commercial customers.” Most specifically, Beta Technologies targets 2026 for the commercial deployment of its ALIA-250 EVA, with Blade managing passenger bookings.
That said, the successful test flight of the innovative air taxi marks a major breakthrough toward their goals.
“We continue to progress our aircraft, flying real-life missions and gaining proficiency in the national airspace. We were glad to be able to fly here from our flight test facility in Plattsburgh to work with Blade to operationalize our partnership.”
BETA Technologies CEO and Founder Kyle Clark
BETA’s ALIA-250 EVA
BETA has accumulated more than $800 million in the capital since its inception in 2017. As of now, the firm has approximately 300 employees working on the two variants of the air taxi.
The passenger variant is a six-seater air taxi (5-passenger + 1 pilot), which is the subject of this discussion. Notably, it has a base price of about $4 million. Nonetheless, both variant boasts a top speed of up to 170 mph.
Furthermore, the ALIA-250 EVA offers a 250 nautical miles range and a 50-minute charge time. It has an elegant, contemporary style and various features to guarantee the greatest standards of safety and comfort.
Remarkably, the ALIA-250 EVA is entirely electric, which reduces its noise generation by around a tenth compared to a conventional helicopter, which makes it preferable for urban areas. The flight test demonstrated how the eVTOL dramatically reduced noise reduction while it soared with a typical helicopter before pulling away for a second pass above the airport.
Indeed, it is a historic milestone not only for the partners but also for the entire urban air mobility space. It would be exciting to see how the ALIA-250 EVA progresses toward its commercialization target of 2026.
