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Beta’s Alia CX300 Makes History: First All‑Electric Passenger Flight for ₹700

Prime Highlights

  • Beta Technologies’ e-electric Alia CX300 undertakes a 130 km passenger flight on merely ₹700.
  • The historic flight captures ultra-low cost, low-noise, zero-emission regional air transport.

Key Facts

  • The Alia CX300 transported four passengers, including the CEO, from East Hampton to JFK Airport.
  • The 35-minute flight consumed mere $8 (₹700) of electricity compared to helicopter fuel expenses.

Key Background

The aviation sector saw the landmark moment of Beta Technologies’ Alia CX300 electric plane flying for its first passenger flight for a distance of more than 130 kilometers from East Hampton to JFK Airport in New York. The four-seater aircraft that took to the skies was up in the air for 35 minutes and was achieved with an operational expense of just ₹700—confirming the affordability of flying electric for short-hop flights.

It is a gateway to green flight development, demonstrating that electric planes can deliver far lower operating costs than little aircraft or conventional helicopters. The same heli ride would consume more than ₹13,000 of fuel, while the Alia CX300 spent just ₹700 of electricity again demonstrating the cost and environmental benefits.

Aside from the expense, the CX300 also enjoys the benefit of a silent flight. Its electric propulsion is also significant in curbing noise pollution, which is typically connotative of inner city and suburban surroundings. The passengers described the experience as quiet and praised how the plane was capable of holding normal conversations during flight—something that was barely achievable with noisy traditional planes.

Beta Technologies, founded in 2017, is also going all-in on electric aviation. Backed by over $300 million in funding, the company is looking to secure FAA certification of the Alia CX300 sometime this year. Certified, the aircraft will be capable of a 250-nautical-mile range on a single battery, opening up short regional routes faster than by road and cleaner than fossil fuels for air travel.

With electric planes looming on the horizon, Beta’s successful commercial flight makes its claim to the future of clean air travel. With expansion plans already in the works, the Alia CX300 can become a familiar sight at city terminals and regional airports in the near future.