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 made history as the first DOT secretary to fly an eVTOL aircraft (Beta Technologies' Alia), signaling a major step towards integrating these vehicles into American airspace.
This historic flight comes as the FAA prepares for the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), a multi-year, 26-state initiative to test various applications like urban air taxis, cargo, and medical delivery in real-world scenarios.
Beta Technologies, a primary eIPP participant, is demonstrating its electric Alia eVTOL and CX300 models, highlighting their lower operating costs and diverse potential applications, with plans to fly passengers by the end of the program.

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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.”