Beta Technologies Make History, Landing First Passenger Electric Plane At New York Airport

Alia, a sophisticated electric aircraft made by Beta Technologies (photo: x @vertiguy)

JAKARTA - Beta Technologies, aerospace company from the United States, recorded a historic milestone by becoming the first company to successfully land a full electric-powered passenger plane at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York. This success was announced on Tuesday June 3 by the company and local port authorities.

In its official statement, the flight lasted 45 minutes and carried a pilot and four passengers. The plane used is Alia, an advanced electric aircraft made by Beta Technologies designed for urban air mobility (Advanced Air Mobility).

This flight is the first in history for a type of passenger electric plane to land in the New York-New Jersey main airport area. This moment is also a sign of rapid progress in the environmentally friendly transportation industry in the United States.

The transportation industry, including airlines, is currently investing in the development of battery-powered electric aircraft that can take off and land vertically. This technology allows for short-distance intercity or intra-city transportation, which can help overcome traffic congestion.

This important step is supported by the latest regulation from the United States Federal Aviation Agency (FAA), which in October 2024 completed pilot training and certification rules for air taxi operations. The FAA calls it the "final piece of the puzzle" to introduce this transportation service safely in the near future.

In the same month, Beta Technologies also managed to raise capital funding of US$318 million (Rp5,178,630,000,000) to support the production, certification, and commercialization of its electric aircraft. With this addition, the total funds the company has raised since its establishment have exceeded 1 billion AQS dollars (Rp16.2 trillion).

The company, which is based in Vermont and founded in 2017, continues to show its commitment to environmentally friendly transportation technology. Beta Technologies CEO and founder Kyle Clark expressed his pride for this achievement.

"After years of safety testing in various environments, we are proud to stand with the Port Authority and New York City to show how this aircraft can serve cities by reducing congestion, emissions, and increasing accessibility," Clark said in the statement.

With this achievement, Beta Technologies opens the way for the future of sustainable air transportation that is more efficient, clean, and integrated with urban infrastructure. In the future, the use of electric aircraft such as Alia is projected to be an important part of mobility solutions in big cities in the world.