Federal agencies have tapped electric-plane startup Beta Technologies to participate in programs meant to speed the adoption of innovative aviation tech — a decision the South Burlington-based company said “signals its strong position” in the emerging field.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration selected Beta to join seven of eight programs — more than any other company. The programs, which span 26 states, including Vermont, are meant to create real-world testing grounds for next-generation aircraft including air taxi services, emergency medical response and autonomous flight technologies.
“Being selected for the … program allows us to start aircraft operations one year earlier than anticipated,” Beta CEO Kyle Clark said in a video released on Monday. “That wasn’t a surprise to me considering that Beta has more real world flying experience than the rest of this industry combined.”
In Vermont and New York State, Beta will conduct cargo and medical logistics operations in partnership with Metro Aviation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Clark launched Beta in 2017 with support from Martine Rothblatt, who founded SiriusXM. Headquartered at the Burlington International Airport, the fledgling firm went public last fall and got a $1 billion infusion of cash in its initial public offering. It has been rapidly scaling up, and today has roughly 1,000 employees. The company’s ALIA aircraft is often seen in the skies above Chittenden County.
“Our aircraft will carry out a range of missions, from critical cargo and medical to passenger,” Clark said of the program. “With our production facility already online, we’re positioned to manufacture and deploy aircraft now. This program will allow us to begin those missions, bringing connectivity and access to communities across the U.S.”
The new testing programs will take to the air by summer 2026, the U.S. DOT said. “In addition to offering the American people an exciting window into the future of aviation, data from the pilot projects will be used by the FAA to develop new regulations that safely enable this futuristic technology at scale,” the department said in a press release.
