SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt.,
April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- BETA Technologies ("BETA" or "the Company") and Blade Urban
Air Mobility ("Blade") today announced a binding agreement through
which Blade will secure up to 20 BETA Electric Vertical Aircraft
("EVA"), becoming the Company's first passenger service customer.
Today's news comes on the heels of last week's announcement by UPS
that it would buy up to 150 BETA EVA aircraft, plus charging
stations, as part of that company's long-term solution to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
![](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1486279/Blade_ALIA.jpg)
Founded in 2017, BETA and its team of aerospace engineers are
building an electric powered ecosystem for aviation, the heart of
which is ALIA, the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft
that can carry up to six people or three standard cargo pallets.
BETA's emphasis on simplicity, efficiency and sustainability has
led to a pioneering electric aircraft design and the world's
largest aircraft charging network. BETA's customers are in the key
aerospace markets of Logistics, Medical, Defense and, now,
Passenger.
"Blade is flying people in and out of cities every day, and
we're excited to partner together with the leader in UAM to create
a new paradigm in passenger aviation," said Kyle Clark, BETA's founder and CEO. "BETA is
a pragmatic company building pragmatic aircraft. It's clear that
the simplicity of our approach, strength of our technology,
consistent progress against our timelines as well as the expertise
of our team resonates with the best operators in the world. We are
extremely excited to partner with Blade and serve the passenger
mission"
Blade founder and CEO Rob
Wiesenthal said, "Blade is laser-focused on its
transition from conventional rotorcraft to Electric Vertical
Aircraft. The ALIA's extremely low sound footprint coupled with its
zero emissions design will enable us to reduce the noise and
environmental impact to the communities surrounding the existing
heliport and airport infrastructure we currently use. ALIA is a
full-scale EVA flying in piloted configuration almost every day.
The team's progress is formidable. BETA's scheduled delivery
beginning in 2024 is ahead of our current projected deployment of
EVA in 2025. The transaction, consistent with our asset-light
operating model, allows Blade to leverage our significant flight
volumes and third-party financing relationships to support the
purchase of BETA aircraft by our operator partners."
Expanding Customer Base
With today's news, Blade Urban Air Mobility becomes BETA's first
passenger service partner, securing up to 20 of the first
passenger-configured ALIA EVAs for purchase by its network of
operators and third-party financing partners, with delivery
scheduled to begin in late 2024. BETA's ALIA aircraft will have a
250 nautical mile range with a cruising speed of up to 170 miles
per hour. Blade's service with ALIA will begin on select routes
using Blade's existing private terminal infrastructure. These
aircraft will be deployed for a diverse set of mission profiles to
and from city centers across multiple geographies.
In addition to today's passenger service news, BETA's
technological capability across commercial, defense and cargo
applications has been validated by a diverse customer mix.
- BETA's first customer and partner, United Therapeutics, will
rely on BETA's aircraft to deliver organs for human
transplantation.
- Last week, UPS announced it reserved the right to purchase 150
of BETA's aircraft, with the first 10 to be delivered beginning in
2024. UPS also purchased BETA's charging stations as part of an
integrated solution.
- The United States Air Force continues to participate in the
BETA flight test campaigns as a part of its innovative USAF Agility
Prime program, which marshals government resources to accelerate
commercialization of air mobility vehicles.
ALIA: Simple, Clean, Quiet
BETA's ALIA aircraft includes a novel combination of elements
that create a smooth, quiet flying experience, with applications
for moving both people and cargo, all while producing zero
operational emissions. ALIA will be capable of flying 250 nautical
miles on a single charge and carrying six people or three standard
cargo pallets and a pilot. Charging will be completed in less than
50 minutes. While flying, the aircraft will be more than 10x
quieter than a helicopter, imperceptible over normal urban noise
and quieter than cars on a highway.
BETA's Commitment to Sustainability and an Electric Aviation
Ecosystem
The aviation industry currently accounts for nine percent of
global greenhouse gas emissions, and is forecasted to account for
the majority by 2035 if companies like BETA don't make a meaningful
dent in aircraft emissions. With Blade and others in the
transportation and logistics companies pledging to reach net zero
emissions within the next 20 years, BETA's aircraft offer a clear
path to achieving these goals.
BETA is focused on sustainability. The Company is building not
only a zero operational emissions aircraft, but a full electric
powered aviation ecosystem.
- BETA has the largest aviation charging network in the world,
extending throughout the northeast United
States, and sites are underway across America, with plans to
expand it rapidly. These high-speed charging stations allow
aircraft to charge at airports, or land on an elevated deck and
charge while crew and passengers access a lounge below, complete
with work space and sleeping accommodations. Recharging takes less
than an hour and can be accomplished in both on- and off-airport
locations.
- BETA has developed immersive flight simulators, located in
Burlington, VT, Washington, D.C. and Springfield, OH, and a curriculum to train
pilots on electric powered aircraft, to match an anticipated surge
in demand.
About BETA
BETA has built a strikingly simple Electric Vertical Aircraft
("EVA") platform with a direct path to Part 23 FAA certification.
Pragmatism motivates BETA's emphasis on simplicity. The Company's
first goal is safety, ALIA is serviced by elegant redundancy,
appropriate diversity of implementation and simplicity of control.
ALIA is an inherently stable aircraft with fixed pitch propellers
and centralized batteries.
The team powering BETA's progress is deep and experienced.
Clark, BETA's founder, has accumulated hundreds of flight hours in
over 250 EVA flights. As a company, BETA has completed a
comprehensive full-scale, all electric and manned flight test
campaign. BETA's team consists of engineers who have worked at some
of the world's leading technology companies and organizations
including the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, Tesla,
SpaceX, Lockheed Martin and General Electric.
About Blade
Blade Urban Air Mobility ("Blade") is a technology-powered urban
air mobility platform committed to reducing travel friction by
providing cost-effective air transportation alternatives to some of
the most congested ground routes in the U.S. and abroad. Today, the
company predominantly uses helicopters and amphibious aircraft. Its
asset-light model, coupled with its exclusive passenger terminal
infrastructure, is designed to facilitate a seamless transition to
Electric Vertical Aircraft ("EVA" or "eVTOL", as referred to by
industry), enabling lower cost air mobility to the public that is
both quiet and zero emissions.
Blade recently announced it would become a public company via a
merger with special purpose acquisition company Experience
Investment Corp. (NASDAQ: EXPC). Closing of the merger is subject
to approval by the stockholders of both Blade and Experience
Investment Corp. and the satisfaction or waiver of certain other
conditions.
For more information, visit www.blade.com.
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SOURCE BETA Technologies