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'Future of aviation': MU flight school, electric aircraft developer announce partnership. on October 13, 2026 By Rick Steelhammer For Charleston Gazette-Mail The era of electrical aviation made its debut Friday in Charleston as a battery-powered BETA Technologies Alia CX300 made a low pass over Marshall University's Bill Noe Flight School, wagged its wings and, a few moments later, touched down at West Virginia International Yeager Airport. The rear-mounted, single-engine aircraft then taxied almost silently toward the flight school's hangar, near which the Charleston airport had recently installed a $327,500 electric-aircraft charging station. There, it was greeted by a cheering crowd of about 200, made up of flight school students, Marshall staffers, airport officers, elected officials and invited guests. "This is Serial No. 1 of our aircraft," Chris Caputo, chief of flight operations for Vermont-based BETA Technologies, said soon after he emerged from the cockpit of the five-passenger aircraft and began fielding questions from onlookers. "Since its first flight on Nov. 16, 2024," he said, "it's flown coast to coast multiple times and logged 750 hours of flight time. In my opinion, it's way safer, more efficient and easier to fly than anything out there." With the installation of its new aircraft charging station, the Charleston airport became part of a network of 65 airports across the nation - most them located east of the Mississippi - capable of recharging the lithium ion batteries used by BETA's Alia aircraft in about 35 minutes. The airports serving Martinsburg and Lewisburg also are part of that network, with Huntington's Tri-State Airport soon to follow. More than 100 charging stations are expected to be operational in coming months. In July, BETA began flying cargo and medical supplies between locations in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, using its Alia CX300 aircraft. In its cargo configuration, the Alia CX300 has a capacity of about 200 cubic feet and 1,250 pounds. Five Alia CX300 aircraft are now flying, "with five more coming off the line soon," according to Caputo. The BETA Alias have a cruising speed of 120 to 155 miles per hour and can operate at airports with runways under 2,500 feet long. BETA also is producing a battery-powered vertical takeoff and landing, or VTOL, aircraft, the Alia A250, designed for shorter-range missions to runway-optional locations. Only one of the electric VTOL aircraft is currently flying. Electric aircraft workforce training. Marshall's Bill Noe Flight School was the site of Friday's event because the university and BETA Technologies have formed a partnership focusing on electric aircraft workforce development and training. "Our aviation program is not solely about teaching students to fly - it is about preparing them to lead in one of the world's most dynamic and essential industries," Marshall President Brad D. Smith said at the ceremony announcing the partnership, held in the flight school's hangar. "This is a milestone moment for Marshall University aviation, as we look toward the future of aviation." Smith announced that Marshall will acquire two Alia CX300 aircraft - the airplane that made the inaugural landing at CRW and was the first to use the airport's new charging cube - and a new aircraft of the same model expected to be delivered early next year. "BETA is investing in the entire ecosystem that makes electric aviation possible - the aircraft, the charging network and the people who will fly and maintain them," said Blain Newton, BETA's chief information officer. With electric-aircraft chargers now online in Charleston, Lewisburg, Martinsburg and, soon, Huntington, "we're connecting the state to a growing network and laying the groundwork for new possibilities in regional transportation," Newton said. "We imagine a future where these aircraft connect small towns to hospitals, to jobs and to each other. It's exciting to share that progress with Marshall University and its students, who represent the next generation of aviation professionals." The new partnership with BETA Technologies "establishes Marshall University as an early adopter of - and regional leader in - advanced air mobility education," said Bill Noe, Marshall's chief aviation officer and the flight school's namesake. "By embedding electric propulsion, thermal management and modern flight controls directly into our flight and maintenance programs, we are ensuring our graduates are ready to lead the aerospace industry into the future while driving economic opportunity across Appalachia." Real-world trials and production expectations. BETA is building and flying its small fleet of Alia CX300s under a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness certificate program, allowing the company to conduct extensive real-world trials of the aircraft. Mass production can begin after the company receives full FAA Type Certification for the aircraft, which the company expects to happen later this year or in early 2027. BETA, a multibillion dollar publicly traded company, operates a 200,000-square-foot production plant in South Burlington, Vermont. The company will be capable of producing up to 300 aircraft annually, after full FAA certification.

BETA completes Utah eIPP operations to support the future of radiopharmaceutical delivery. Submitted by tim on Tue, 10/13/2026 - 04:59 Related Company BETA returned to Utah in October with its all-electric ALIA CTOL to conduct missions under the state's uFLY eIPP project. Flying routes between Salt Lake City International Airport (KSLC), Provo Airport (KPVU), and Logan-Cache Airport (KLGU), BETA, in partnership with Alpine Air Express, demonstrated how electric aviation can provide reliable, time-sensitive movement of medical cargo across the state. These operations are the latest in BETA's work with Utah to bring Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) to the state ahead of the 2034 Olympics. Operations tested how BETA's all-electric ALIA CTOL aircraft can conduct important medical deliveries quicker and more affordably, fitting into Utah's economic and transportation strategies. Vermont Business Magazine BETA Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BETA), an aerospace and defense company based in South Burlington, Vermont, has concluded five days of flight operations in Utah that demonstrated how electric aviation can provide reliable, time-sensitive movement of critical medical cargo across the state under the U.S. Department of Transportation's (U.S. DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). "Cargo, logistics and medical missions have been central to our vision for electric aviation since day one," said Kyle Clark, founder and chief executive officer of BETA Technologies. "We designed ALIA to be a low-cost, high-performance aircraft that can move the goods that people and communities depend on every day. Radiopharmaceuticals are a powerful example of what electric aviation could mean for patients. Many decay within hours, so they need fast, reliable transport, and Utah's regional routes are well suited to electric aircraft. Through the eIPP, we're working with Alpine Air to build the foundation for these missions." Working with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), 47G and Alpine Air Express, BETA conducted flights with its all-electric ALIA CTOL aircraft to showcase a new regional transportation model for radiopharmaceuticals, or time-sensitive medicines used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases including cancer. Radiopharmaceuticals are specialized drugs containing radioactive isotopes that decay rapidly. For example, fluorodeoxyglucose, a critical drug for cancer screening and treatment, may lose half its strength in just 110 minutes. It works by binding to cancer cells, revealing their location and then working with antibodies to kill them, allowing medical professionals to better identify and treat diseases. Due to the isotope's rapid decay, the cost of transport and Utah's rugged terrain, bringing life-saving treatments to patients is significantly constrained. Today, Alpine Air transports these treatments over longer distances using conventional aircraft. Through the eIPP, BETA and Alpine Air will evaluate how electric aircraft could complement those existing operations and expand service to new communities in a reliable and affordable way. "When you are dealing with radiopharmaceuticals, you are on the clock the second they are produced. This limits how many patients you can treat and how far away from the production location you can go," said Michael Dancy, chief executive officer of Alpine Air. "We see electric aviation, and ALIA specifically, as an important way to modernize our fleet, change time-critical missions, and ultimately, make it easier for people and their families to get the resources they need." As part of the eIPP, BETA and Alpine Air will fly regional routes carrying time-sensitive cargo, generating real-world operational data on flight time, dispatch reliability, turnaround and charging time, weather, aircraft performance, cost, and other KPIs important to customers. These metrics will help identify the routes and operating environments where electric aircraft can deliver measurable operational and economic value - and provide communities with a data-driven basis for evaluating future electric air service. "This demonstration provides data to help turn these concepts from trial to deployment," said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. "These test flights demonstrate how these new aircraft can expand cargo delivery options to communities nationwide and improve our logistics infrastructure." The operations mark the latest step in BETA's longstanding work with Utah to bring electric aviation to the state. In January 2025, BETA and 47G announced a partnership to bring electric aircraft and charging infrastructure to Utah to lay the foundation for a statewide Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) transportation system ahead of the 2034 Olympics. Today, through the eIPP, BETA and its partners are beginning to put that vision into practice, marking a new chapter in aviation and connectivity for the state. "Utah has spent years building the infrastructure, the policy framework, and the coalitions to lead in Advanced Air Mobility," said Aaron Starks, president and chief executive officer of 47G. "We're glad to see the eIPP put that groundwork to use. And BETA has been critical to make that happen for Utah. At 47G, we are making sure Utah companies and workers are positioned to benefit as this industry takes off." Utah represents the latest operational deployment for BETA under the eIPP. BETA is participating in seven of the eight programs selected nationwide and has already supported operational missions in Virginia, Maryland, Louisiana, Texas and North Carolina. Across these programs, BETA is working with customers and state and local partners to put electric aircraft into real operating environments and generate the data needed to support safe, scalable commercial adoption. "Utah has long been a place where innovation in transportation can move from concept to reality, and today's demonstration with BETA Technologies is a great example of that pioneering spirit," UDOT Commissioner Carlos Braceras said. "Through uFLY, we are creating opportunities to safely explore how all-electric aircraft can enhance Utah's transportation system and connect communities in new ways." About BETA Technologies, Inc. BETA (NYSE: BETA) is an aerospace and defense company designing, manufacturing and selling high-performance electric aircraft, advanced electric propulsion systems, components and charging systems to top operators worldwide. BETA has built and flown its family of ALIA aircraft, consisting of both conventional fixed-wing electric aircraft (the "ALIA CTOL") and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (the "ALIA VTOL"), more than 200,000 nautical miles, including multiple trips across the United States. BETA is deploying a network of charging infrastructure to enable the growing industry with more than 130 sites across the United States and internationally. BETA's intentional approach to developing the enabling technologies necessary to electrify aviation unlocks lucrative aftermarket revenue opportunity over the life of each aircraft. These highly scalable enabling technologies allow BETA to serve a customer base across cargo and logistics, defense, passenger and medical end markets and unlock cost-effective and safe missions. Visit www.beta.team for more information about BETA and its products. SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. & SALT LAKE CITY-(BUSINESS WIRE)-BETA Technologies, Inc. To support vital journalism, access its archives and get unique features like its award-winning profiles, Book of Lists & Business-to-Business Directory, subscribe HERE! Vermont Business Magazine