Beta Technologies Demonstrates Alia CX300 Electric cTOL Aircraft to Media, Expects Cargo Flights in 2026

A reporter flew for 20 minutes above Burlington in Beta Technologies' Alia CX300 electric aircraft at speeds over 100 miles per hour. Test pilot Chris "Pooter" Caputo piloted the flight, which offered views of Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains. The Alia CX300 is designated a cTOL aircraft.

Beta Technologies has orders from carriers including Air New Zealand and expects to begin revenue-cargo flights later in 2026 under a Transportation Department pilot program. Full certification is expected in late 2027. Beta Technologies is also developing the Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft, scheduled to certify after the CX300.

The Alia CX300 can carry five passengers and one pilot. There is no divider between the cockpit and the cabin, and two rows of seats sit behind the pilot. Up to five battery packs stored in the belly provide around 250 kWh of energy and roughly 390 miles of range under ideal conditions.

The batteries can be recharged in about an hour using large cube-shaped charging units that Beta builds and sells to other operators for hundreds of thousands of dollars. A 2025 SEC filing outlined up to $13 million in projected battery replacement sales over each aircraft's lifetime. Beta Technologies has spent years developing its electric propulsion system in-house.

During the demonstration, Caputo cut the engines at about 1,300 feet. The rear-mounted electric propulsion unit is designed with independent power paths. The reporter noted the ride was smooth and quiet.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took a demo flight with Beta last week that cost $3. A similarly sized fuel-powered Cessna would cost a few hundred dollars in fuel. Beta has partnered with Republic Airways, Air New Zealand, and Loganair to conduct real-world test flights.