Beta Technologies has brought the new ALIA CX-300 all-electric aircraft to Ireland this week. The aircraft arrived by cargo ship to the Port of Foynes at the weekend. The aircraft was then transported across the Shannon Estuary to Shannon Airport by an underslung load of a Bell 205A. On Wednesday and Thursday, the aircraft undertook local flights including two trips to the Arann Islands, and returned to Shannon.
The visit to Shannon, which included meetings with Irish government leaders including the Minister for Transport, Seán Cannery T.D., was organised with the support of Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI). The stop at Shannon is the start of a European sales tour for the aircraft which is built at the Beta Technologies facilities in Vermont. The aircraft flew direct to Weston on Friday 23rd of May in a time of 1h 03m. The sales tour is expected to continue to the UK and France, visiting the Paris Airshow in June. The aircraft will make further stops around Europe before arriving in Norway in late summer to begin operational trails for the launch customer, Bristow.
It is an electric aircraft with a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) design, meaning it needs a runway. It’s designed to charge quickly, with a goal of under an hour, and offers a low noise profile. The CX-300 is designed for short-haul and regional flights, focusing on cargo, medical, defense, and passenger transport. Beta has demonstrated a range of up to 336 nm on a single charge with the CX300. The company plans to have FAA Certification later this year.
Photos by Malcolm Nason and Beta Technologies.
