Commuting by air is largely a luxury reserved for the elite — but ambitious startups are betting that won't last much longer.
Aerospace companies have spent years and billions of dollars trying to make battery-powered flying taxis a reality, billed as a cleaner and cheaper alternative to helicopters.
One of the leading electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft is the Alia 250 from Vermont-based manufacturer Beta Technologies. I saw the five-motor aircraft in action last week as it buzzed over Burlington Airport at speeds over 130 mph.
The eVTOL was noticeably quieter than a helicopter and flew fast and steady despite its trunky appearance. Based on Beta's estimate that a one-hour flight costs about $28 of energy, the electricity consumed during the 30-minute demonstration flight would have cost only about $14. Or, roughly the price of a large movie-theater popcorn.
That doesn't necessarily translate into cheap fares — insurance, pilot pay, and maintenance still factor into commercial operations — but Beta's CFO Herman Cueto said during the event that the Alia 250 is "about 75%" cheaper than a helicopter to operate.
The end goal is to fly these air taxis on city-to-airport routes to bypass road traffic. Think New York-JFK to Downtown Manhattan or Long Beach to Burbank Airport. The dawn of the new aircraft has even fueled visions of a Jetsons-like future of air taxis to get to work.
Beta president and CEO Kyle Clark said the Alia 250, which has racked up hundreds of test flight hours and is participating in a Transportation Department program to fast-track eVTOLs, is expected to be certified over the next few years.
Beta is using a stepwise certification approach based on its sister aircraft, the Alia CX300, an electric airplane categorized as a conventional takeoff and landing, or cTOL, that needs a runway rather than a vertiport. The CX300, which flew in formation with the Alia 250, is expected to be certified by late 2027.
Both aircraft use mirrored technology and systems, with the Alia 250's engine and other components tailored for vertical lift. Clark said the pragmatic approach makes eVTOL certification easier: "By the time you get the cTOL certified, you effectively have 80% of the requirements for the eVTOL."
Beta, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange as BETA, is also betting that the Alia 250's flexibility to carry cargo or passengers will expand its market beyond air taxis into the broader urban air mobility market, like medical missions.
Electric flight still faces myriad obstacles, including infrastructure, certification, public acceptance, and affordable fares. Here's a closer look at the Alia 250 eVTOL.
The Alia 250's rotors are fixed.
The Alia 250 takes off and lands vertically using four top-mounted rotors, then transitions to forward flight via an aft propeller. By comparison, Joby and Archer engineered their aircraft with six rotors that physically tilt to perform both vertical and forward flight.
Beta's aircraft was designed with simplicity in mind and constructed with as few complex systems as possible, Clark said.
He added that Beta has built everything in-house, including the engine, batteries, and propellers, a vertical integration strategy that gives it more control over costs and quality.
Its engine is fully battery-powered.
The eVTOL is powered by five battery packs, giving it a range of roughly 290 miles. Its five electric motors are built with multiple layers of redundancy, meaning the aircraft can continue flying safely even if one motor fails.
Beta said the Alia 250 fully recharges in less than an hour via giant charging cubes. The company also sells its charging infrastructure to other operators for hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure revenue outside aircraft sales.
One pilot and up to 5 passengers.
Clark said the eVTOL cabin, airframe, avionics, and powerplant all mirror the Alia CX300.
I sat in the front on a CX300 flight, and the view of the lakes and mountains below was incredible; I can imagine that'd be a treat over Manhattan, Miami, or Los Angeles. It's a small aircraft, though, where turbulence is more noticeable and could cause motion sickness.
These zero-emission flights cost just tens of dollars to operate, according to Beta. A Cessna turboprop or a Sikorsky helicopter can cost hundreds of dollars per hour in fuel, a difference particularly notable after the US war in Iran sent oil prices soaring.
The Alia 250 can also be a freighter.
The Alia 250 can carry up to 200 cubic feet of cargo; imagine Amazon boxes, humanitarian aid, or organ transport. It's a different approach than Joby and Archer's primary focus on passenger eVTOLs; they have said they aim to certify as early as this year.
Instead, Clark said Beta is working its way up: "We're ready to go today with cargo cTOL aircraft," he said. "Tomorrow it's going to be passenger cTOL aircraft, then cargo VTOL aircraft, then passenger VTOL aircraft."
Reuters reported that Beta has 890 firm orders for its aircraft, of which a majority are for the Alia 250. Customers include UPS and the New Zealand Air Ambulance Service.
Beta still faces several hurdles.
The company's demonstration flights are part of an effort to show the public that electric aircraft can become an accessible and affordable way to commute.
But exactly how affordable remains unclear. Fares that are merely cheaper than a helicopter could still be out of reach for many travelers.
And safety remains a key challenge, as the company must demonstrate that the aircraft is reliable enough for routine passenger flights, while scaling will depend on regulatory approvals and raising capital.
The company also faces growing competition from Joby and Archer as they race to commercialize their own eVTOLs and capture a share of the emerging urban air mobility market.
