First Electric Flight Test at Amazon Air

Beta Technologies has conducted the first flight test of an electric aircraft at Amazon facilities.

Thom Patterson

Friday, June 24, 2022 at 11:45 AM ET

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Beta Technologies prototype electric aircraft flew Thursday from KCVG to KILN. [Courtesy: Beta Technologies]

Key Takeaways:

Beta Technologies successfully conducted the first flight test of its *Alia* electric cargo aircraft between two Amazon Air hubs in Ohio, showcasing the viability of electric aviation for future logistics.
Amazon not only hosted the test flight but also announced an additional investment in Beta Technologies through its Climate Pledge Fund, underscoring its commitment to a zero-emissions transportation network.
The *Alia* electric aircraft is designed for cargo transport, with initial orders from customers like United Therapeutics (for organ transport) and UPS Flight Forward, while also having a passenger variant reserved by Blade Urban Air Mobility.
Beta aims for FAA type certification by 2024 and is developing a nationwide network of charging stations to support both electric aircraft and ground electric vehicles.

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Beta Technologies has conducted the first flight test of an electric aircraft at facilities of online retail giant Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) .

Beta’s Alia electric prototype demonstrator departed from Amazon Air’s “superhub” at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (KCVG) on Thursday and flew approximately 60 nautical miles to the company’s sorting hub at Wilmington Air Park (KILN) outside Dayton, Ohio.