Beta Technologies unveiled on Monday its latest electric aircraft, a passenger-carrying version of its ALIA lineup, which includes vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and fixed-wing models. While eVTOL vehicles don’t require a runway, fixed-wing aircraft do. The Vermont-based startup has raised over $860 million from major investors like Amazon’s The Climate Pledge. Unlike competitors such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, Beta is not aiming to operate its own urban air taxi service. Instead, it has positioned itself as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer), selling aircraft and charging solutions to a range of customers. So far, Beta has secured deals with clients in defense, cargo delivery, and medical logistics, including United Therapeutics, UPS, Air New Zealand, and the U.S. Air Force, with plans to launch in these sectors by 2025. Beta also provides charging networks used by companies like Archer, boasting 34 active sites and more than 50 in development. “Flying passengers has always been part of the plan,” said Kyle Clark, Beta’s founder and CEO, in an interview with TechCrunch. The aircraft was designed with passenger safety and space in mind, though the company first focused on medical and cargo applications to streamline certification and customer acquisition. While Beta hasn’t yet built a full passenger prototype, the design closely resembles its current models, simplifying the path to certification and manufacturing. The passenger version will feature more windows, five seats, a pilot cabin, luggage space, and passenger comforts like light switches and ventilation controls, according to Clark. All versions of Beta’s aircraft will be capable of carrying approximately 1,400 pounds, and in some cases, they are already doing so. Beta has successfully conducted cargo-carrying missions for the military, and according to CEO Kyle Clark, the startup has accumulated more flight hours than any other company in the electric aviation industry. “I believe we will have tens, if not hundreds, of cargo aircraft with tens of thousands of flight hours, building the most important factor in aviation—trust in the safety of the product—before we start flying passengers,” Clark stated. He added that this approach will likely allow Beta to begin flying passengers sooner than competitors due to the trust gained and the strategic regulatory pathway the company has chosen. Clark estimates that Beta’s aircraft are around 13 to 14 months away from receiving certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company currently holds a “market survey ticket,” enabling it to fly with potential customers, allowing their pilots to test and evaluate the aircraft. This approach has already attracted customers in the passenger market. Blade, an on-demand aviation startup that offers wealthy clients helicopter or seaplane bookings to avoid traffic, placed an order for up to 20 of Beta’s eVTOLs in 2021. Other clients include aviation company LCI, which will use Beta’s aircraft to transport guests to the Aria Hotels in Greece, and Helijet, which has placed an order for four eVTOLs, with an option to purchase four more for both cargo and passenger operations. Beta is preparing to fulfill these and other orders over the next few years. While the company initially built its aircraft in a prototype facility, it opened a production facility in South Burlington in January. Clark noted that the FAA has closely monitored production, which means progress has been steady but not rapid. However, the facility is expected to produce hundreds of aircraft over the next 18 months. Within four years, Clark anticipates reaching a maximum production capacity of 300 aircraft annually. Clark is particularly enthusiastic about how electric aviation could dramatically reduce the cost of regional flights. He envisions a future where travelers who currently drive two to three hours to reach a commercial airport could instead fly there in minutes at an affordable price. He explained that short regional flights are currently expensive due to the high cost of jet fuel and the recurring maintenance expenses associated with jet engines. “Switching from a turbine or jet-powered aircraft to an electric one can effectively cut the cost of transportation in half,” Clark said, adding that this shift could open up around ten times more markets for passenger travel.