Beta Technologies, in a first, lands passenger-carrying electric aircraft at NY airport
(Corrects headline to reflect that the milestone was at a New York airport, not that it was the first such aircraft ever)
Beta Technologies became the first U.S. company to land an all-electric aircraft at an airport in the New York-New Jersey region, the company and port authorities said in Tuesday.
The flight to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport flew 45 minutes with a pilot and four people, they said in a statement.
Transportation companies, including airlines, are looking to develop services using electric battery-powered aircraft that can take off and land vertically to ferry travelers for short city trips, allowing them to beat traffic.
In October, the Federal Aviation Administration finalized comprehensive training and pilot certification rules for flying air taxis, calling it "the final piece in the puzzle for safely introducing these aircraft in the near term."
In the same month, Beta raised $318 million in equity capital to fund production, certification, and commercialization of electric aircraft, bringing its total raised value to more than $1 billion.
The Vermont-based company was founded in 2017.
"After years of rigorous safety testing in all types of environments, we're proud to stand here with the Port Authority and the city of New York to demonstrate exactly how this aircraft can serve cities by easing congestion, reducing emissions, and increasing accessibility," Kyle Clark, CEO and founder of the privately held company, said in the statement.
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