FutureFlight
Beta’s Electric Air Taxi Demonstrates Military Use Cases
The all-electric Alia prototype demonstrated time and cost savings in casualty evacuation and emergency maintenance mission simulations.
Beta's Alia electric airplane prototype flies at Duke Field
Beta's Alia electric airplane prototype landed at Duke Field on Eglin Air Force Base near Destin, Florida, on Oct. 26, 2023. (Photo: Beta Technologies)

Beta Technologies’ Alia prototype has wrapped up its first deployment with the U.S. Air Force, which is evaluating defense applications for new electric air taxis and eVTOL aircraft. The Vermont-based aircraft developer had its Alia prototype stationed for three months at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle, where the company worked with the Air Force’s 413th Flight Test Squadron to conduct on-base experimentation and operational training.

Beta is developing eVTOL and eCTOL (conventional takeoff and landing) versions of its Alia aircraft, both of which will be available in cargo configurations or as five-passenger air taxis. While the company has said it expects the eVTOL aircraft to have a range of about 250 miles, the eCTOL prototype has already flown up to 386 miles on a single charge. The eCTOL model, called CX300, is expected to receive FAA type certification in 2025, with the Alia-250 eVTOL model to follow in 2026.