Air New Zealand has expanded its commercial partnership with BETA Technologies, a U.S.-based electric aerospace company, with the addition of an electric technical demonstrator aircraft and several charging solutions to its existing order.
This marks another significant step in Air New Zealand’s plans to operationalize BETA’s next-generation ALIA CTOL aircraft in commercial routes beginning in 2026.
Air New Zealand will receive an ALIA CTOL from BETA in 2025, for six months of early familiarization practices across the company — including the pilot and maintenance teams, as well as the route planning, operations, and ground support teams.
The company has also added BETA chargers to its order, including one Charge Cube for permanent installation and several of BETA’s mobile MiniCube chargers to expand the network footprint in New Zealand.
This additional purchase is the latest in a series of steps Air New Zealand has taken toward making its operations more sustainable and cost-effective. Following an 18-month period of due diligence and a down-selection process from 30 OEMs, Air New Zealand announced in 2023 that BETA’s ALIA CTOL would be its first purchase of a next generation aircraft.
In the year since selecting BETA, the airline has:
· Decided on an initial mission – carrying cargo for the NZ Post
· Identified a route flying between Wellington and Blenheim between the North and South Islands
· Invested in the remaining key elements of the AAM ecosystem, including charging infrastructure and training assets.
“We have been very impressed with the practical, operations-focused approach Air New Zealand has taken from the very beginning of this process,” said Kyle Clark, BETA’s founder and CEO.
“They have leaned all the way in, working with us step by step to set solid foundations across every part of the ecosystem to ensure successful entry into service. The Tech Demonstrator and chargers will allow us to collect data and refine the operations so Air New Zealand can hit the ground running with low-cost electric service upon delivery of their first certified aircraft.”
“We’re so thrilled to be moving into the next generation of aviation,” said Kiri Hannifin, Air New Zealand’s chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer.
“This future is one where we can fulfil our purpose to connect New Zealanders but with a much lower emissions – something we are deeply committed to expediting as quickly as we can to help meet our 2050 net zero carbon emissions target. The technology behind this aircraft is incredible, and we’re very proud to be able to bring it to Aotearoa a little earlier to show the country what the future of domestic air travel will look like. A number of our Air New Zealand pilots will have the opportunity to learn to operate the aircraft alongside BETA pilots. This not only allows them to gain experience on a completely new type of aircraft, but it will also guide the airline’s work to develop the processes and policies required to operate the aircraft commercially in 2026.”
With this early access to the aircraft and charging infrastructure, which will be delivered in 2025, the Air New Zealand team will be able to conduct critical baseline training, such as flight training and abnormal procedures familiarization, and can begin longer-term evaluations of things like commercial service route selection.
It also presents an important opportunity to highlight the reality of electric aviation and the benefits it will bring to communities across New Zealand. Beginning actual flight operations will allow local residents and government leaders alike to gain familiarity and comfort with the quiet technology and what it will bring to New Zealand in terms of economic and sustainability goals.
Last month, BETA added another $318 million in equity capital to its coffers via a Series C fundraise. The electric aerospace company also rolled its first ALIA CTOL aircraft off its rate production line in Vermont last month, securing an Airworthiness Certificate from the FAA and conducting its first test flight quickly thereafter. The company continues to ramp up production and certification efforts as it heads toward commercialization.
This press release was prepared and distributed by BETA Technologies.
