An all-electric aircraft made a successful runway landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport for the first time ever.
The first-ever passenger-carrying demonstration flight involved a 45-minute journey from Suffolk County to Queens. This makes Beta Technologies, the Vermont-based startup behind the feat, the first U.S. company to land an all-electric aircraft at an airport in the New York-New Jersey region.
Sky’s the Limit
The Alia CX300 aircraft was piloted by the company’s founder and CEO, Kyle Clark. He explained how the aircraft went through a series of thorough safety tests prior to conducting a test with passengers.
“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 a statement.
Clark also commented on the cost-effectiveness of the all-electric flight, stating, “That flight we just took from East Hampton to here was like $8 in electricity.”
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There were four passengers on the flight, including Andrew Kimball, CEO of NYC Economic Development Corporation.
“So quiet, so efficient, so green. Really will transform the industry,” Kimball said to CBS News.
According to Clark, the firm hopes to be flying commercial passengers by 2026. The company hasn’t yet released the pricing information regarding this type of commercial flight.
“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.
Check out Beta Technologies’ footage of the flight below:
