Hanneke Weitering is a writer and editor with AIN covering advanced air mobility and new flight technologies. She became an aviation journalist and joined the AIN team in the summer of 2022 after reporting on spaceflight and astronomy for six years at Space.com. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in science, health, and environmental reporting at New York University&#039;s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is now based in Seattle near Boeing Field and spends her free time exploring nature in the Pacific Northwest.

Science & Technology Editor

Hanneke Weitering

Read the latest news about Beta Technologies.

Metro Aviation has placed a deposit-backed order for up to 20 of Beta Technologies’ Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft. The Shreveport, Louisiana-based air medical service provider, which operates in 27 states across the U.S., intends to use the all-electric model for emergency response and intra-hospital transport.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Founded in 1982, Metro Aviation operates a fleet of 170 aircraft—primarily helicopters and a handful of fixed-wing models, including the Pilatus PC-12, Cessna Citations, and Beechcraft King Airs. With the addition of Beta’s eVTOL aircraft, Metro Aviation says it will be able to “offer increased mobility and access to rural and urban geographies with zero operational emissions.”&nbsp;
Last week, Beta said it has started to ramp up production of both the Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft and its conventional fixed-wing counterpart, the Alia CX300, at its 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Burlington, Vermont. Beta expects to have the Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft certified and in commercial service in 2026, following the same approval for the CX300 model in 2025.&nbsp;
Beta has also raised&nbsp;$318 million in fresh capital through <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2024-11-01/beta-raises-318-million-evtol-aircraft-production-starts">a Series C funding round</a>, and on October 31 reported that it has now raised more than $1 billion in equity capital. The latest raise was led by Qatar Investment Authority and was backed by Fidelity Management &amp; Research Company and TPG Rise Climate.

Both the Alia 250 and CX300 are <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2024-10-01/beta-unveils-design-five-passenger-electric-aircraft">designed to carry five passengers</a> or up to 1,250 pounds of payload in a cargo configuration. According to Beta, the eVTOL aircraft will have a range of around 250 nm, whereas the CX300 has demonstrated up to 336 nm in flight testing so far. Both will cruise at 135 knots.&nbsp;
“We originally designed Alia with organ and tissue transport in mind, so we are excited to complement that mission with Metro and its family of healthcare providers across the country,” said Beta founder and CEO Kyle Clark. “Electric aviation brings reliability at a lower cost, which makes it a strong value proposition for urgent transport like hospital transfers and emergency response.”
Beta’s launch customer and biggest investor, <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/news-article/2020-12-15/united-therapeutics-digs-deep-back-longer-range-evtol-aircraft">United Therapeutics</a>, holds orders for an unspecified number of both versions of the Alia aircraft, according to Beta. United Therapeutics plans to use the aircraft to transport human organs bound for transplant surgeries.&nbsp;
In addition to aeromedical transport, Metro Aviation offers maintenance, repair and overhaul services as well as training for ground and flight personnel. It also offers aircraft completion services for medical and law enforcement customers and holds FAA supplemental type certificates for various air medical components and installations in both rotorcraft and airplanes.

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