BETA Technologies announces order for 25 electric aircraft from SLI

BETA Technologies has announced that SLI, one of Libra Group’s aerospace subsidiaries, has placed a firm purchase order for 25 ALIA CTOL (electric conventional take-off and landing) aircraft. This order represents a broadening of SLI’s portfolio beyond space to include Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft, and extends the long-standing relationship between BETA and Libra Group through its subsidiaries.

SLI was launched by Libra Group in 2023 as the world’s first dedicated space leasing company, providing flexible asset financing solutions for a wide spectrum of space assets. The company will now additionally lease the new ALIA CTOL (CX300) aircraft to operators in the intra-city and regional aviation sectors. The CX300 is a fixed-wing variant of BETA's ALIA VTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft that operates airport-to-airport. Libra Group is a privately owned global business group with subsidiaries whose assets and operations span maritime, aerospace, renewable energy, hospitality, real estate, and diversified investments in nearly 60 countries.

BETA’s fully electric aircraft are payload- and range-optimized for regional and intra-city flights, and exhibit clean emissions and low sound profiles. BETA’s ALIA aircraft are capable of transporting up to 1,240 pounds of cargo, or five passengers plus a pilot. In cargo configurations, the aircraft can carry hand-sorted, specialty, or containerized cargo plus a pilot, and feature a low load floor and wide-opening side door.

In addition to regular passenger and cargo transportation, ALIA will serve SLI’s anticipated critical-need mission set, which encompasses priority cargo and medical transport, with more energy and cost-efficiency than conventional aircraft.

“Libra Group and SLI are leading global innovation when it comes to financing next generation assets in aerospace, renewable energy, maritime, and more,” said Patrick Buckles, BETA’s Sales Lead. “Our ALIA platforms are designed to support everything from sustainable business and leisure travel to essential missions like disaster response, firefighting, and humanitarian aid, answering the wide range of critical and commercial applications SLI manages. This is the extension of a longstanding partnership, and we look forward to working with SLI as we round the corner into commercial operations.”

“BETA Technologies is setting a new standard in electric aviation, redefining how people and critical payloads move across the globe,” said Praveen Vetrivel, CEO of SLI. “Their platform’s versatility unlocks not only commercial and leisure travel but also high-impact use cases like disaster response, firefighting, and humanitarian missions. We’re proud to partner with BETA as they lead the charge in transforming aviation.”

This announcement follows BETA’s ongoing real-world flight demonstrations across the U.S. and Europe, including daily flights at this year’s Paris Air Show. Earlier this year, the company flew its production-intent ALIA CX300 eCTOL coast-to-coast, covering more than 8,000 nautical miles across the U.S. and is now flying throughout Europe. In early June, the company completed the first passenger-carrying demonstration flight with a mission into John F. Kennedy International Airport. SLI’s Praveen Vetrivel was later a passenger on a 33-mile flight out of JFK. These routine flights showcase the progress, commercial readiness, and operational promise of BETA’s ALIA CTOL in all types of real-world conditions.

BETA is building its CTOL and VTOL aircraft at its nearly 200,000 square foot production facility in Vermont, USA, ramping up production, certification, and delivery efforts. In addition, the company has developed and is rolling out a network of charge infrastructure that utilizes an industry standard compatible with other air taxi manufacturers and ground vehicles. BETA has a diverse roster of customers and partners including UPS, Air New Zealand, Republic Airways, United Therapeutics, Bristow, Blade, Helijet, Metro Aviation, New Zealand Air Ambulance, and the U.S. Department of Defense. BETA has firm orders and, in some instances scheduled deliveries, with this group of global operators.