A cargo carrier specializing in moving freight across the remote Alaska Bush is the latest customer for Vermont-based Beta Technologies, which is developing both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) electric aircraft.
Alaska-based Ryan Air on Wednesday placed a deposit-backed order for an unspecified number of Beta’s Alia CTOL, which is designed to carry up to 1,250 pounds of food, medical supplies, or other critical cargo. Per Beta, the aircraft will be IFR and flight into known icing conditions (FIKI) capable, allowing it to reach even the most remote parts of the state.
Ryan Air intends to deploy Alia in rural areas across Alaska—and potentially other states. The family-owned carrier serves more than 70 Alaskan villages using 23 aircraft based out of eight hubs.
“For more than a century, our family has been involved in carrying the mail, and since 1953 we have operated aircraft to connect Alaska’s most remote communities,” said Ryan Air president Lee Ryan. “From the dog team era to the jet age, from visual navigation and [long-range navigation] to next-gen ADS-B and GPS, we’ve embraced each wave of progress to better serve our state.”
Beta’s Alia is part of what could be the newest wave—one that includes eVTOL air taxis, hybrid-electric regional aircraft, and other advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies. Only a handful of AAM aircraft have been FAA-certified. But they have the potential to introduce a more sustainable and cost-effective way of moving cargo.
Electric Aircraft in the Bush
Per the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, 82 percent of Alaska’s communities are not accessible by road. An estimated 251 can only be reached by air from one of more than 230 airports operated by the state.
These remote areas are colloquially referred to as the Alaska Bush, and they are where Ryan Air directs its focus. The company said it works with FedEx, UPS, the U.S. Postal Service, and local tribes and Alaska Native groups, covering an area larger than the U.S. West Coast every day. Its fleet includes the Cessna 207 and 208, CASA 212-200, Pilatus PC-12, and Saab 340.
According to Beta, the Alia CTOL produces 75 percent fewer emissions than the 208 at a fraction of the energy cost per hour, producing less noise than conventional aircraft. Its proprietary H500A electric motor powers Part 35-certified propellers from Hartzell that are tailored to electric and hybrid-electric propulsion. Certification testing for the propellers was conducted exclusively on the H500A.
To power the aircraft, Ryan Air will install as many as 10 Beta Charge Cubes across its network. The chargers are designed to support electric aircraft—both Beta’s and its competitors’—as well as cars, trucks, and buses. They include built-in energy storage systems designed to reduce strain on the electric grid.
Per Lee Ryan, Alia’s batteries “can be repurposed at the end of their flying life, creating second-life applications that support rural Alaska.”
“In many of the communities we serve, diesel generators remain the only power source, limiting growth and stability,” Ryan said. “By leveraging Beta’s battery technology and infrastructure, Ryan Air—together with local partners—can help bring greater energy reliability and sustainability to even the most remote parts of our state.”
The CTOL carries up to five passengers or 1,250 pounds of cargo, with a cruise speed of about 135 knots and demonstrated range of 336 nm. Beta has also proven it can handle hot and cold temperatures, flying through snowstorms and desert heat during a six-week, 25-state, 8,000 nm barnstorm across the U.S. earlier this year. The journey included an IFR flight into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL)—the busiest in the world.
Alia later flew from Ireland to Norway in a European “grand tour” during which it traversed the Irish Sea and English Channel. In June, it kicked off the Paris Air Show with the event’s first flight demonstration. It also made a historic flight into JFK International Airport (KJFK), becoming the first passenger-carrying electric aircraft to land at one of New York’s three major airports.
It remains to be seen whether that real-world experience will translate to speedier certification.
Last week, for example, the New Zealand Herald reported that Air New Zealand—one of Beta’s customers—has postponed plans to deploy Alia for cargo operations next year, citing certification delays. The New Zealand flag carrier in 2023 ordered a single aircraft, reserving the option for two more and rights to a further 20.
However, Beta is already working closely with other customers. In December, it walked helicopter and fixed-wing pilots from United Therapeutics—its first customer—and subsidiary Unither through a pilot training curriculum.
During Alia’s U.S. barnstorm, UPS Flight Forward, which in 2021 announced plans to buy up to 150 aircraft, conducted an operational demonstration. Following its European tour, Bristow Group, which placed a firm order for five aircraft, began testing Alia with its pilots in Norway.
More customers could soon get their hands on the electric model. At the Paris Air Show, Republic Airways signed an agreement for the delivery of a “precertified” Alia, which it will use to study potential passenger and cargo routes.
Beta is also one of several electric aircraft developers planning to participate in the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program—a White House-directed initiative aimed at gathering data that could shape future regulations. The three-year initiative will include at least five public-private partnerships focused on a variety of use cases, from passenger transport to medical cargo.