The FAA has awarded BETA Technologies a Special Airworthiness Certificate that authorizes the ALIA 250 to conduct flight operations with prospective customers — the first such authorization granted to an electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
“This authorization brings vertical flight closer to the people and places that will put it to work, building on BETA’s track record of industry firsts. We completed the first crewed electric VTOL transition flight in 2024, we were first to receive market survey authorization for our conventional takeoff and landing aircraft (CTOL), and now we’re first with our VTOL,” said Kyle Clark, founder and chief executive officer of BETA. “Operators can now experience the VTOL firsthand and begin planning how it fits into their businesses, from connecting communities to moving people and goods at a lower cost.”
“This is an important step toward commercial adoption, and we’re grateful to the FAA for developing the regulatory framework that makes these operations possible,” he added.
BETA’s A250 is an all-electric VTOL aircraft designed to operate from locations with or without runway access. The aircraft has dual pilot controls and is designed to carry up to five passengers and more than 1,200 pounds of cargo, supporting missions across cargo and logistics, medical transportation, defense, and passenger operations, company officials said.
The authorization, issued under Part 21 of the FAA’s regulations, enables BETA to conduct flights with operators and key stakeholders, allowing them to experience the A250’s capabilities firsthand. The approval also expands the geographic scope of BETA’s operations, providing greater flexibility to demonstrate the capabilities of electric vertical flight across a wide range of operating conditions, subject to applicable FAA limitations, company officials noted.
“The FAA is committed to working with American innovators to safely integrate these new aircraft into our national airspace, while maintaining the rigorous safety standards that have made the United States a global leader in aviation,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.
BETA’s A250 completed its first flight under the new authorization on Oct. 20, 2026. In its first flight under the market survey authorization, the ALIA VTOL took off vertically from Plattsburgh International Airport (KPBG) in New York, transitioned to wing-borne flight and landed vertically at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (KBTV) in Vermont, covering 34 nautical miles in 20 minutes.
For more information: BETA.team
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