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Electric plane makes history flying 130 km over New York with passengers
Beta Technologies' fully electric aircraft, the Alia CX300, has made aviation history as the first of its kind to carry paying passengers. Earlier this month, the sleek white plane took off from East Hampton and landed at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport, completing a 70-nautical-mile (approximately 130-kilometre) journey in just over 30 minutes.
The flight cost only about ₹694 ($8) in electricity — significantly lower than the roughly ₹13,885 ($160) a helicopter would spend on fuel for the same route. Because the CX300's motors run almost silently, the four passengers could converse easily throughout the journey, free from the roar of turbine engines, Fox News reported.
'This is a 100 per cent electric airplane that just flew from East Hampton to JFK with passengers on it, which was a first for the New York Port Authority and the New York area. We covered 70-odd nautical miles in 35 minutes,' said Kyle Clark, founder and CEO, Beta Technologies.
'Charging this thing up and flying out here cost us about $8 in fuel. Of course, you have to pay for the pilot and the airplane, but, fundamentally, it's way less expensive,' Clark said, as quoted by Fox News.
FAA certification on the horizon
Founded in Vermont in 2017, Beta Technologies recently secured $318 million in fresh funding to accelerate production and certification of its electric fleet. The company is working on two models: the conventional-takeoff CX300 and the Alia 250 eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing). It hopes to earn Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification for the CX300 by year-end. With a single-charge range of up to 250 nautical miles, Beta believes its aircraft can transform short-haul travel between cities and suburbs.
Beta is not alone in chasing the electric air-taxi market. In May, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic organisers named Archer Aviation as their official air-taxi partner, promising spectators a stylish escape from LA's infamous road traffic. Archer also awaits FAA approval but aims to launch its LA network as early as 2026.
As certification milestones draw nearer, electric aircraft such as Beta's CX300 are positioning themselves to reshape commuter aviation — with quieter cabins, lower operating costs, and zero in-flight emissions.
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