BETA Technologies successfully conducts maiden flight of first production electric aircraft

South Burlington, Vermont-based BETA Technologies has reached a significant milestone by successfully completing the maiden flight of its first electric aircraft produced on its rate production line.  

The ALIA conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft, assembled at the company’s 200,000-square-foot facility, marks a pivotal moment in BETA’s progression towards manufacturing advanced electric aviation solutions. 

The aircraft has received experimental operations certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allowing it to proceed with initial flight tests.  

Advancing electric aviation

Kyle Clark, BETA’s founder and CEO, personally piloted the inaugural flight, which focused on evaluating the aircraft’s handling and systems.  

“This start of our production CX300 flight test campaign is a result of years of hard work and focus on studying customer requirements, hard engineering, manufacturing, production, quality and test,” said Clark.  

“It represents a significant milestone for BETA, and is the beginning of an exciting new phase for the business. With this, we’re one step closer to putting this technology into the hands of our customers.”  

Furthermore, Clark highlighted the valuable insights gained from this initial production build, underscoring its importance in improving manufacturing systems.  

“This first build allowed the team to collect data and insight on manufacturing labour, tooling design, processes, yields and sequences, all of which are being used to refine our production systems,” he added.  

The achievement comes roughly a year after BETA began production at its South Burlington facility. 

Moreover, it follows a $318 million Series C funding round aimed at accelerating the certification and production of the ALIA CTOL and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) models.  

In addition to these milestones, BETA Technologies recently hosted a high-level delegation from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) at its Vermont facility. 

During the visit, GCAA Director General H.E. Said Mohammed Al Suwaidi and other officials engaged with BETA executives, including Clark, to explore potential collaborations and expertise exchange in advanced electric aviation.  

This milestone signals a promising step forward for BETA Technologies, as the company continues to pioneer sustainable solutions in the evolving electric aviation sector.