Latest news with #BetaTechnologies
TimesLIVE
16 hours ago
- Business
- TimesLIVE
How an opportunity in defence could make flying taxis a reality
Opportunities in defence, emergency healthcare and cargo could help make flying taxis a reality in the next few years after the sector recently received backing from US President Donald Trump's administration, executives in the industry said at the Paris Airshow. Trump this month told regulators to speed up certification to accelerate the development of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), aiming to secure a US lead over Asia in the technology. The executive order gave fresh impetus to an industry that has struggled to win over critics and regulators. "We take a lot of spears, people are like 'batteries are too heavy'," Kyle Clark, founder and chief executive of Beta Technologies, said at the show. "But the reality is, if you put the airplanes in the right places, the benefits are real." Flying taxis - seen in predictions of the future for decades - need to shake off the idea that they are only for the rich to become viable at scale. Their manufacturers said emergency medical services, cargo and defence could help, where they offer a cheaper and quieter alternative to helicopters in areas from passenger and goods transport to rescue missions. BETA, Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are in the US air force agility prime programme, which aims to develop technologies for autonomous cargo and hybrid-electric aircraft. Joby and Archer have previously signed military contracts worth $131m (R2,357,768,942) and up to $142m (R2,555,943,200), respectively. "We have two aircraft at Edwards air force base, and we are grateful for all the support an learning out of that," said Joby Aviation's founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt. "We think there are incredible opportunities on the defence side." Clark, who flew Beta's conventional takeoff and landing aircraft in Paris, said the company had a clear position in defence: reliable aircraft that showed up to every mission.
Bloomberg
10-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
From the Hamptons to JFK in An All-Electric Plane
Beta Technologies flew its fixed-wing, electric aircraft from the Hamptons to JFK Airport for the first time recently. While just a demonstration for now, Beta is hoping to gain certification for its electric aircraft by Technologies CEO Kyle Clark joined Bloomberg Open Interest to talk about the future of electric aviation. (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Electric airplane makes first landing at NYC's JFK Airport
STORY: :: June 3, 2025 :: New York :: This is the first time a passenger-carrying electric airplane has landed at a New York airport :: Kyle Clark, Founder and CEO, Beta Technologies "So this is a 100% electric airplane that just flew from East Hampton to JFK with passengers on it, which was a first for the New York Port Authority, for the New York area, and we covered 70 odd nautical miles in 35 minutes." :: Beta Technologies' flight showcases the quiet, low-cost potential of electric air travel "The most transformative thing is that you drastically reduce the cost of flying. Charging this thing up and flying out here cost us about $8 in fuel, right? Of course, you have to pay for the pilot, gotta pay for airplane, but fundamentally, it's way less expensive. It's quieter, so the communities are happier. It's a simpler aircraft, so you're quiet, you're accessible, and people love flying it. If you asked the passengers how they liked it, we could talk to each other the whole time. There's no propeller in front of you, there's no jet engine. It's just a quiet whooshing across the plane." The flight to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport flew 45 minutes with a pilot and four people, they said in a statement. Transportation companies, including airlines, are looking to develop services using electric battery-powered aircraft that can take off and land vertically to ferry travelers for short city trips, allowing them to beat traffic. In October, the Federal Aviation Administration finalized comprehensive training and pilot certification rules for flying air taxis, calling it "the final piece in the puzzle for safely introducing these aircraft in the near term." In the same month, Beta raised $318 million in equity capital to fund production, certification, and commercialization of electric aircraft, bringing its total raised value to more than $1 billion. The Vermont-based company was founded in 2017. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CBS News
03-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
All-electric aircraft makes historic landing at JFK Airport
JFK Airport has its first ever all-electric aircraft landing JFK Airport has its first ever all-electric aircraft landing JFK Airport has its first ever all-electric aircraft landing History was made Tuesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport as an all-electric aircraft made a successful runway landing for the first time. The aircraft made a 45-minute journey from Suffolk County to Queens in a first-of-its-kind passenger-carrying demonstration flight. "So quiet, so efficient, so green" Beta Technologies, a Vermont-based start-up, is now the first United States company to land an all-electric aircraft at an airport in the New York-New Jersey region. The company's founder and CEO, Kyle Clark, piloted the Alia CX300 himself, landing successfully – and quietly. He says the historic flight showcases the future of urban air mobility amid a longstanding push for electric aviation. "That flight we just took from East Hampton to here was like $8 in electricity," he said. Clark says the company's all-electric aircraft have undergone years of rigorous safety testing. "It's super meaningful to bring an aircraft of new technology through six years of development and testing to the point that we can actually put passengers in it," Clark said. Joining him on Tuesday's flight were four passengers, including Andrew Kimball, CEO of NYC Economic Development Corporation. "So quiet, so efficient, so green. Really will transform the industry," Kimball said. "It was terrific. It was quiet," another passenger said. Beta Technologies aims to fly commercial passengers by 2026 Clark says the goal for such electric aircraft is to ease congestion, reduce emissions and increase accessibility for all. He hopes to be flying commercial passengers by 2026, although at this time, it's unclear exactly how much a commercial flight would cost. "Next year, we will achieve [Federal Aviation Administration] certification, we expect. It's gonna be a lot of hard work, more testing, so 18, 20 months from now, you can probably be flying one of these airplanes around New York," Clark said. "The airports have a big job to do in terms of establishing charging stations, developing areas where they can safely land and take off," said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton. In October 2024, the FAA finalized comprehensive training and pilot certification rules for flying such electric aircraft, calling it "the final piece in the puzzle for safely introducing these aircraft in the near term."
CNA
03-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Beta Technologies, in a first, lands passenger-carrying electric aircraft at NY airport
(Corrects headline to reflect that the milestone was at a New York airport, not that it was the first such aircraft ever) Beta Technologies became the first U.S. company to land an all-electric aircraft at an airport in the New York-New Jersey region, the company and port authorities said in Tuesday. The flight to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport flew 45 minutes with a pilot and four people, they said in a statement. Transportation companies, including airlines, are looking to develop services using electric battery-powered aircraft that can take off and land vertically to ferry travelers for short city trips, allowing them to beat traffic. In October, the Federal Aviation Administration finalized comprehensive training and pilot certification rules for flying air taxis, calling it "the final piece in the puzzle for safely introducing these aircraft in the near term." In the same month, Beta raised $318 million in equity capital to fund production, certification, and commercialization of electric aircraft, bringing its total raised value to more than $1 billion. The Vermont-based company was founded in 2017. "After years of rigorous safety testing in all types of environments, we're proud to stand here with the Port Authority and the city of New York to demonstrate exactly how this aircraft can serve cities by easing congestion, reducing emissions, and increasing accessibility," Kyle Clark, CEO and founder of the privately held company, said in the statement.
