BETA Completes 14 Electric Flights Across Florida

BETA Technologies completed 14 flights across Florida, covering nearly 700 nautical miles under an electric aircraft integration initiative coordinated with the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

Operating under the federal Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), BETA flew its ALIA CTOL conventional fixed-wing electric aircraft across the Orlando and Tampa regions. Route legs included flights between St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (KPIE), Albert Whitted Airport (KSPG), and Tampa International Airport (KTPA). The leg connecting Albert Whitted Airport to Tampa International Airport retraced the 1914 route flown by Tony Jannus, widely recognized as the world’s first scheduled commercial airline flight.

BETA is participating in the Florida initiative alongside lead agency Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Republic Airways, Brickyard Connection, and Metro Aviation. Florida represents one of eight pilot programs selected nationwide to evaluate operational integration into the National Airspace System (NAS).

“The eIPP lets us fly electric aircraft in the National Airspace System alongside our customers to evaluate how the aircraft perform in real-world operations,” said Kyle Clark, founder and chief executive officer of BETA. “The eIPP is where we put that experience to work, on the routes our customers will fly in commercial service.”

“Florida is helping safely integrate these new aircraft into the airspace system and prove that the next great era of American aviation is already here,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “Each flight provides crucial data and lessons learned that will help establish safety standards for everyday operations.”

To support ongoing testing, BETA deployed multimodal, Combined Charging System-compatible charging infrastructure across nine airport facilities in Florida, including Bob Sikes Airport (KCEW), Tallahassee International Airport (KTLH), Gainesville Regional Airport (KGNV), and Space Coast Regional Airport (KTIX).

For more information: Beta.team