The Beta Technologies ALIA-250 eVTOL soared over the New York metropolitan area
A successful test flight of the Blade Air Mobility And Beta Technologies ALIA-250 eVTOL was completed on Tuesday. The accomplishment positions the partners to someday provide air taxi service throughout the main city.
The test took place at the White Plains, New York, Westchester County Airport, which is roughly an hour north of New York City. A prototype of Beta Technologies ALIA-250 eVTOL flew above the airport during the flight, first flying next to a helicopter and then flying by itself.
The eVTOL’s fully electric propulsion system is a quiet one, only generating 10 percent of the amount of noise of a standard helicopter, making it an excellent choice for use in populated regions. When complete, it will hold a six-passenger capacity for each trip.
“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,” said Blade CEO Rob Wiesenthal. “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.”
Tuesday’s test flight comes just two years after the partnering of private aviation charger company Blade, and electric aerospace manufacturer Beta. Blade agreed to purchase 20 Beta Technologies ALIA-250 eVTOLs in April 2021. The company plans to employ these eVTOL in the future as air taxis, in addition to providing helicopter services from Manhattan to JFK airport.
“We continue to progress our aircraft, flying real-life missions and gaining proficiency in the national airspace,” said Beta founder and CEO, Kyle Clark. “We were glad to be able to fly here from our flight test facility in Plattsburgh to work with Blade to operationalize our partnership.”