Anabelle Colaco
07 Jun 2025

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont: Beta Technologies has become the first U.S. company to land an all-electric aircraft at an airport in the New York-New Jersey area, according to the company and port authorities.

The flight, which carried a pilot and four passengers, landed at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport after a 45-minute journey.

The achievement is part of a broader push by transportation companies to explore battery-powered aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing—a cleaner, quieter alternative for short-distance urban trips.

"After years of rigorous safety testing in all types of environments, we're proud to stand here with the Port Authority and the city of New York to demonstrate exactly how this aircraft can serve cities by easing congestion, reducing emissions, and increasing accessibility," said Kyle Clark, CEO and founder of Beta Technologies, in a statement.

The Vermont-based company, founded in 2017, raised US$318 million in equity capital last October to support the production, certification, and commercialization of its electric aircraft, bringing its total funding to over $1 billion.

The same month, the Federal Aviation Administration finalized pilot certification and training guidelines for air taxis, describing it as "the final piece in the puzzle for safely introducing these aircraft in the near term."