FAA allows BETA Technologies to fly customers on ALIA eVTOL

BETA Technologies has been granted a Special Airworthiness Certificate for market surveys from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), enabling it to fly customers and partners on its ALIA VTOL A250 aircraft.

Designed to carry up to five passengers and two pilots, or more than 1,200 pounds (544 kg) of cargo, the ALIA VTOL A250 is the vertical take-off and landing version of the ALIA CX300 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft. Both vehicles are powered electrically and share a common architecture and core technology foundation, including propulsion systems, avionics, batteries and charging systems.

This is the first time that the FAA has given this kind of authorization for an eVTOL developer to perform hands-on demonstrations for prospective customers and other stakeholders.

BETA Technologies announced the issuance of the authorization on October 20, 2026, having already performed its first flight under the new regulatory status earlier on the same day.

On this particular flight, an ALIA VTOL A250 flew from Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG), New York, to Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV), Vermont, 34 nautical miles away. During the journey, which took 20 minutes, the A250 completed a transition from vertical to wing borne flight, then back again to vertical for the landing.

The aircraft developer has been flight-testing the A250 since 2020 and completed its first transition flight in 2024. Until it obtained this special FAA authorization, these flights were restricted to a limited number of people, including US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who flew both the eVTOL and CTOL versions of the ALIA in June 2026.

RELATED BETA Technologies co-founder and CEO shows us around the CX300 ALIA aircraft

The post FAA allows BETA Technologies to fly customers on ALIA eVTOL appeared first on AeroTime.