BETA Technologies and Multistate Collaborative Complete First Operational Flights of the U.S. DOT and FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program
The flights carried manufactured organs, being developed by United Therapeutics
The flights are also the first in a series of use cases that will touch at least 26 states nationwide
BETA Technologies, Inc. (BETA) (NYSE:BETA), an aerospace and defense company, and the Multistate Collaborative eIPP National Integration Complex today announced the completion of the first electric conventional takeoff and landing ("CTOL") aircraft flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation ("U.S. DOT") and the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA")’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program ("eIPP"), the federal government's new initiative to evaluate how Advanced Air Mobility ("AAM") aircraft can safely operate in everyday commercial use within the National Airspace System ("NAS").
The mission—conducted in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Virginia Department of Aviation, and the Maryland Aviation Administration—demonstrates BETA's ability to transform mission-critical logistics.
The inaugural campaign demonstrated routine operations across a multistate corridor connecting Virginia and Maryland. The flights covered approximately 275 nautical miles, flying between Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport (KBCB) in Blacksburg, Virginia; Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (KCHO) in Charlottesville, Virginia; Frederick Municipal Airport (KFDK) in Frederick, Maryland; and Martin State Airport (KMTN) in Baltimore County, Maryland. This milestone comes just months after BETA was selected to participate in seven of the FAA’s eight eIPP launch programs, more than any other electric aircraft developer.
BETA and United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR), a biotech company at the forefront of increasing the supply of transplantable organs through their revolutionary organ manufacturing pipeline, have a long-standing partnership to develop and operate electric CTOL and vertical takeoff and landing ("VTOL") aircraft to deliver the manufactured organ products when they become commercially available. The partnership aims to reduce the cost, increase the reliability, and lower the carbon footprint of large-scale organ delivery operations. United Therapeutic’s subsidiary, Unither Bioelectronics, led by Mikael Cardinal, has advised and partnered with BETA on technologies including autonomy, aircraft aerostructures, and the strategic deployment of charging infrastructure.
"United Therapeutics contracted BETA to build an electric aircraft capable of delivering lifesaving cargo, and today we delivered on that agreement," said Kyle Clark, founder and chief executive officer of BETA Technologies. "Our long-term partnership with United Therapeutics has shaped BETA and our mission to build the aircraft, infrastructure, and operational ecosystem. Since it began, we have safely flown our aircraft over 160,000 nautical miles and built charging infrastructure across 123 sites in the United States and Canada. Today’s successful missions, set the stage for routine medical applications through electric flight at a much lower cost nationwide."
The eIPP was established by the U.S. DOT and the FAA to accelerate the safe integration of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) through operational demonstrations that bring together aircraft manufacturers, operators, state and local governments, airports, and federal agencies. The program is intended to inform future certification policy, operational frameworks, and the broader commercialization of Advanced Air Mobility across the United States.
"Our public-private partnerships are essential to safely unlocking the full potential of these revolutionary aircraft," said Chris Rocheleau, deputy FAA administrator. "Each eIPP project will showcase the broad public benefits of this technology—from moving people and cargo to supporting lifesaving emergency response—and the data we gather will help shape policies for safe, scalable operations nationwide."
"Our mission to manufacture an unlimited supply of transplantable hearts, kidneys, lungs, and livers requires thousands of organ delivery flights per day," said Martine Rothblatt, CEO of United Therapeutics. "Our FDA-approved clinical trials for the heart, kidney, and bridge-liver, and this month’s FDA approval of our lung device, shows how quickly this mission is being achieved. Today's flight demonstrates how public-private collaboration can accelerate air transport innovation and thus help enable millions of lives to be saved over the coming decades."
Anthony J. McCloskey, Bureau of Aviation Director at Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, said: "Today marks a significant step in the evolution of aviation! The use of next generation aviation technologies for critical future medical product delivery has successfully been demonstrated. PennDOT is thrilled to be leading the Multistate Collaborative eIPP National Integration Complex, which currently includes 17 other states, 4 OEMs, 3 Operators, and numerous other key stakeholders. Today's event truly exemplifies the strong partnership we've built and I am excited for the future of this technology!"
"The Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV) is honored to be a part of this monumental milestone showcasing the successful integration of AAM technologies into the Commonwealth of Virginia’s existing aviation infrastructure and the national air transportation system," said Greg Campbell, Director of DOAV. "Through continued collaboration with our partners, such as BETA Technologies and the FAA, along with our other state and federal counterparts, we remain committed to developing the AAM infrastructure needed to support these aircraft and deliver benefits nationwide.
Shannetta R. Griffin, P.E. Executive Director/CEO Maryland Aviation Administration, said, "Maryland is incredibly proud to stand alongside our federal and regional partners in Virginia and Pennsylvania to celebrate this historic milestone. What BETA Technologies and United Therapeutics have achieved today is proof that zero-emission regional air mobility is no longer a concept for tomorrow—it can operate in our airspace today. By collaborating across state lines, we are proud to support a future where clean aviation can solve real-world, time-critical challenges like lifesaving organ transport."
The Pennsylvania-Virginia-Maryland campaign marks the beginning of a broader national effort that will expand across additional states and mission profiles in the months ahead. The operational campaigns will help generate operational data and establish the framework for routine Advanced Air Mobility aircraft operations supporting healthcare, cargo, defense and other critical missions throughout the United States.
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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 160,000 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 100 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.
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Media Contacts:
BETA Technologies
Press: Nat Bol, press@beta.team
Investors: Devon Rothman, investors@beta.team
Federal Aviation Administration
Press: Hillary Heintz, pressoffice@faa.gov
United Therapeutics
Press: communications@unither.com
Investors: https://ir.unither.com/contact-ir
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Press: Anthony McCloskey, amccloskey@pa.gov
Virginia Department of Aviation
Press: Greg Campbell, greg.campbell@doav.virginia.gov
Maryland Aviation Administration
Press: Sean Hammer, SHammer@bwiairport.com
