Bristow Group has placed a firm order for five electrically powered vertical take-off and landing ALIA-250 aircraft manufactured by electric aviation company BETA Technologies, Inc. Bristow will also have the option to purchase an additional 50 ALIA aircraft. The ALIA will have a maximum range of 250 nautical miles and is designed to carry 1,400 lbs of payload or can carry six people including a pilot. With a 50-foot wingspan and a carbon-fiber fuselage, the aircraft uses a single distributed direct-electric propulsion system and has four horizontally mounted rotors that provide vertical lift and a single propeller in the rear to propel the aircraft forward.
Bristow Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer Dave Stepanek, commented: "This order firmly positions Bristow as an early adopter and leader in pragmatically developing AAM operations and ushering in a new era in vertical lift solutions. By leveraging our 70+ years of expertise as a leader in vertical lift, we plan to use the BETA ALIA to safely and reliably move passengers and time-sensitive cargo as part of the development of new regional mobility networks in the U.S. and other strategic locations."
Kyle Clark, Founder and CEO of BETA, said: "We designed ALIA with reliability, efficiency, and the highest-value cargo in mind, all of which are central to the types of critical missions Bristow carries out on a global stage.Over the past few months, we've made strides with our flight test program, proving the aircraft is capable of performing in conditions it will see in service. We are gratified by Bristow's confidence in our continued progress, and we look forward to partnering to provide a safe and sustainable system to transform regional transportation."
The battery will be charged in under an hour using BETA's own charging infrastructure, which can be deployed as a standalone fixture to enable airport operations or integrated into a charging pad for off-airport applications.
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