BETA’s all-electric ALIA CX300 aircraft at Salt Lake International Airport during a demonstration Oct. 7. The aircraft has a maximum range of 336 nautical miles. (Becky Ginos/Salt Lake Business Journal)
Utah showed again it’s leading the way in the future of aviation with a recent flight demonstration of a next-level, all-electric aircraft at the Salt Lake International Airport.
BETA’s ALIA CX300 aircraft took flight as part of the series of real-world flight operations conducted through uFLY, the Utah Department of Transportation’s multi-state initiative, in partnership with BETA Technologies and 47G.
The aircraft is designed to operate from existing airports with well-established aviation procedures, according to UDOT. The aircraft has demonstrated a maximum range of 336 nautical miles and can support missions such as transporting critical medical supplies and other cargo.
“Utah leaders are working together to ensure the state has the infrastructure and regulatory framework as aviation moves toward commercial operations,” a UDOT news release said.
“Utah is very fortunate to be part of the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) through the FAA and USDOT (U.S. Department of Transportation),” said UDOT Aeronautics Director Matt Maass. “It brings companies like BETA to the state, where they can bring this beautiful aircraft and put it in real-world scenarios, simulating cargo delivery, simulating medical deliveries and seeing how it operates around the state.”
This is an electric-only, composite aircraft, he said. “It’s a game-changer to operate an aircraft versus another aircraft for the energy costs.”
It costs probably between $14 and $17 per hour, Maass said. “So if you look at comparable fuel costs of an aircraft that size, you’re probably looking in the range of maybe $150, maybe even $300 an hour with today’s fuel costs.”
“It’s one thing to talk about future transportation,” said UDOT Operations Director Troy Peterson. “It’s another thing to bring the technology here, put it to the test in a real operating scenario environment and learn from it.”
“How many of you when you were growing up watched ‘The Jetsons?’” said state Sen. Ann Millner at the demonstration. “What you thought about is ‘Wow, someday maybe this is more than cartoons. Maybe it’s something where we’re really flying and we’re doing it in small planes and we’re doing it ourselves.’”
Aerospace and defense is now 19 percent of the GDP in Utah, she said. “I’ve been in this world for a long time, working on this in different roles. It used to be like 6 to 8 percent. So that’s how much it’s grown in the last 20 years. That doesn’t happen because we just keep doing what we’ve always done. It happens because we envision a future of what could be.”
“There’s something wonderful about aviation technology,” said 47G President and CEO Aaron Starks. “It’s inspiring. This commitment to Utah is what’s put Utah on the map.”
The pilot and crew push the aircraft back to the hangar. (Becky Ginos/Salt Lake Business Journal)
Utah has a strong ecosystem, he said. “Nineteen percent of the economy is tied to this (aerospace) industry and a great deal of that aircraft is manufactured in Utah. There are hundreds and thousands of parts of components, but the fuselage and the skin is manufactured about a mile away.”
It’s in everyone’s best interest that this industry is thriving in all 29 counties, said Starks. “It creates higher paying and more sustainable wages.”
“Utah’s aerospace industry has made a serious commitment to developing the technologies that will define the future of transportation,” he said. “With partners like BETA investing, innovating and putting new capabilities into operation, Utah has an opportunity to complement our existing transportation system in new ways.”
