Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Lifts Off in Electric Air Taxi

Flight in Beta Technologies’ Alia comes as officials ready for more extensive public demonstrations.

Jack Daleo

Monday, June 01, 2026 at 03:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Beta Technologies CEO Kyle Clark (left) stands next to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in front of the company’s Alia, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design. [Credit: U.S. Department of Transportation]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy conducted a historic flight in Beta Technologies' Alia eVTOL, becoming the first transportation secretary to do so and signaling the government's commitment to integrating electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
The DOT/FAA is launching a multi-state eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) to test a range of real-world applications, including urban air taxi services, regional passenger transport, and cargo/medical delivery, using precertified aircraft and existing air traffic control.
Beta Technologies is a primary participant in the eIPP, with its electric Alia eVTOL and CX300 conventional variant aircraft demonstrating low operating costs and undergoing extensive testing with partners for various commercial and medical logistics applications.

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“This is not the Jetsons,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a new video capturing his flight on Beta Technologies’ Alia eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft. “This is actual real life.”

Duffy on Friday became the first transportation secretary to fly in an eVTOL aircraft, the Transportation Department said Monday. Duffy called the sortie a “historic flight into the future” and said eVTOL models will “fundamentally change the way people and products move.”