Helicopter air ambulance operator Metro Aviation has agreed to acquire up to 20 BETA Technologies Alia eVTOL aircraft for use as air ambulances. Metro vice president and co-owner Todd Stanberry told Vertical that the company anticipates taking initial delivery in 2027 with entry into service in 2028.
“We believe that BETA has the superior product in the eVTOL space, and they are taking the right approach to entering the market,” Stanberry said. “Metro has been in conversation with various eVTOL developers over the past several years, but BETA, with its pragmatic approach and genuine interest in the operator’s perspective, was the one to legitimately capture Metro’s attention.”
Stanberry said Metro plans to operate the aircraft single-pilot IFR and that it is in discussions with BETA to develop a medical interior — and be an authorized completion and service center — for the aircraft. He said BETA already has committed to providing Metro with pilot and technician training for the aircraft, and the companies are in discussions with regard to placing a simulator at Metro’s Shreveport, Louisiana, Helicopter Flight Training Center. Stanberry said the initial aircraft will likely be based at its headquarters in Shreveport with ongoing discussions about future base locations.
BETA completed its 200,000-square-foot production facility last year at the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport. BETA said that plant can produce up to 300 aircraft annually.
The Metro signing comes after BETA announced a $318 million cash infusion via Series C funding led by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) on Oct. 30, bringing BETA’s total capitalization to more than $1 billion. BETA is developing two electrically-powered aircraft that share a largely common airframe — the conventional takeoff and landing Alia CX300, powered by a single aft-mounted pusher cruise power H500A engine mated to a five-bladed propeller, and the Alia A250 VTOL, which adds four V600A electric lift motors and four, two-bladed lift propellers to the design.
BETA is pursuing certification of the CX300 first, with the A250 to follow as part of a risk mitigation strategy. BETA currently holds aircraft commitments from Metro, Air New Zealand, Blade Urban Air Mobility, Bristow, Helijet, aircraft lessor LCI, United Therapeutics, UPS Flight Forward, and the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. Customers plan to use the aircraft for missions including cargo, logistics, air ambulance, defense, and passenger transport.
BETA also is developing a network of charging stations nationwide with the assistance of various government programs, including a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a new $2.6 million award from the state of Michigan.
BETA chargers are not platform specific and can be used for both ground and air vehicles. They already have been installed at civil airports in several eastern, gulf, and western U.S. states. Other charger customers include competing aircraft companies and the U.S. Department of Defense. Altogether, there are 35 chargers online and another 50 planned.
Performance targets for the Alia eVTOL include five passengers, a 1,250-pound payload, a maximum cruise speed of 135 knots, and a maximum demonstrated range of 336 nautical miles. Estimated time required for a full charge is less than one hour.
While certified for single-pilot operations, the aircraft will be delivered with a two-pilot configuration to enable in-aircraft flight training as well as for certain European two-pilot requirements.
Metro currently operates 170 aircraft for 42 helicopter air ambulance programs in 27 states. While the A250 is quieter than a conventional helicopter by several orders of magnitude, Stanberry said the company was attracted to the A250 eVTOL primarily by its lower acquisition and operating costs and its durable design — particularly its robust electric motors. He pointed at flat to declining Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates — the main source of revenues paid to air ambulance providers for patient transports — against a background of helicopter acquisition and maintenance costs that are on a “45-degree incline” as a driver for Metro (and the industry) to look for new technology to preserve the industry’s long-term health. Stanberry also envisioned flying the A250 for logistics and parts support for its other aircraft between Metro’s 128 bases of operation.
While the A250’s 200-cubic-foot cabin is somewhat narrower, in the main it is on par with that of an Airbus Helicopters EC145, Stanberry said, adding that it was large enough to transport a pilot, adult patient, and two caregivers. It also can accommodate bariatric patients and neonatal isolettes.
Stanberry said Metro would work with customers to tailor charging solutions to their individual needs. He said BETA’s charging architecture will come with options that will be offered to hospital customers also based on their specific needs and mission profiles.
